Jim Crow Scandal

The Anglo-Saxons are anathema to the French: the British because of their attitude on the Ruhr question; the Americans because of their objection to Negroes frequenting the same places of amusement as they.

Last week at 2 a. m. two black and one white Frenchmen entered a Mont martre cabaret. Hardly had they sat down when a patron, said to be a U.S. citizen, complained to the manager. The manager crossed over to the trio and requested them to leave. They refused. The manager persisted, argued, entreated, ordered and finally threw them out.

Two days later La Prefecture de la Police revoked the all-night license of the cabaret, which must now close its doors at an early hour.

The two Negroes were Prince Kojo Tovalou Houenou and his brother, Prince Marc, nephews of King Behanzin of Dahomey, a province of French West Africa. The white Frenchman was a M. Humbert de Navry.

Prince Kojo is a barrister by profession, and on the following day he lost no time in filing a suit against the proprietor of the cararet for evicting him and against the barman for refusing to serve him with drinks. No sooner had the Prince's suit been filed than Maitre Moro Giafferi, most famous of all French lawyers, offered his services to the Prince. Maitre Giafferi defended Caillaux, Landru (the French Bluebeard) and Mme. Bessarabe.

The incident, coming on top of many others (TIME, July 9, Aug. 13), aroused a storm of protest against Americans in the Paris press:

L'Homme Libre: "Montmartre is not an American colony."

Journal des Debats: " The natives of our colonies always have been considered as our real brothers. . . . Let it be thoroughly understood that we will not tolerate their being ejected without reason at the request of foreigners who ... in daring to do so show a singular lack of tact."

La Liberte: "Montmartre is in France, though at this season one is tempted to forget that, so American is it in its manners."