Word: french
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...disappointment of Washington society columnists, who came this time not to jot down details of furbelows and jewels, but to spy out diplomatic incidents, Nazi, British, French, Russian, Finnish envoys avoided each other with frigid finesse. Near-incidents: 1) Russian Ambassador Constantine Oumansky almost bumped into Finnish Minister Hjalmar Procope, but just in time handsome Mr. Procope turned aside toward the chocolate cookies. 2) Rumors spread that the fancy pants of Mehmet Munir Ertegun, Turkish Ambassador, split slightly as he bowed before the President. No one could confirm this rumor, as the Ambassador stood poker-faced with his back...
...French adults celebrate not Christmas Day, which is for children, but Christmas Eve, which climaxes solemnly at midnight Mass, followed by a merry feast in the small hours. Last week, as a special dispensation, the State, which has forbidden midnight Masses since the war broke, authorized them for Christmas Eve. In Paris, priests were required to limit attendance in their churches to the capacity of available air-raid shelters nearby...
...French department stores reported Christmas sales about 40% below last year. They were doing a thriving trade, however, in everything wearable, drinkable or eatable that devoted French women thought their men at the front might like. L'Amour is important to morale, and the State made it possible last week for tens of thousands of women to visit their husbands at Christmas. Mothers with evacuated children in the countryside were offered by the French State Railways free trips during the holidays to visit their moppets...
...loans without consultation; 4) both will collaborate on internal price policies. The accords were entirely unprecedented. In World War I, which was virtually decided by the economic factor, the two countries had nothing but a common grain agreement and, in the last months, transport and food councils. Said suave French Finance Minister Paul Reynaud: "No better proof than this economic and financial accord could be found of the common will to carry this fight to a finish. It has been inspired by the same spirit that made possible unity of command for the military forces...
...Secretary General Leon Jouhaux played host to Sir Walter Citrine, since 1926 Secretary General of the British Trades Union Congress, in the first of a series of monthly conferences on the two countries' labor problems. Last week the problems seemed to be all on the French side. Leader Jouhaux complained that his followers, theoretically on a 40-hour week, work 72. Though he claims nearly 1,000,000 members, he is allowed no representation in war ministries (as T. U. C. is in Britain). Strikes for wage increases, still permitted in Britain, are jail offenses in France. Last week...