Scents & Smells

Fifty-four years ago was born a Corsican who grew up with a knowing nose for scents & smells. Smart women now know him as M. Francois Coty, a high priest of parfum at Paris. He conceals his origin so little that he is a Senator from Corsica. His hobby is to own and sometimes contribute to that conservative journal Le Figaro. Recently this hobby has gotten the scent & smell man into trouble.

Because Le Figaro has challenged the good faith of Germany in international matters there has begun a German press campaign urging females of the Fatherland to boycott Coty perfumes. Last year they bought 3,000,000 francs worth. Frau and fraeulein should be courted. Therefore, last week M. Coty strove agitatedly to avert the boycott by "redefining" his attitude toward Germany in a special, most conciliatory issue of Le Figaro.

While the effect of the German press campaign hung in doubt, last week, M. Coty could at any rate congratulate himself on the pro-Fascist line which he has taken in Le Figaro. As a result, it is said, Signor Benito Mussolini has issued certain quiet intimations to Italian customs officials. When these gentry now espy a shipment with the Coty label they are reported to clear it through the customs both rapidly and with a certain favorable carelessness in checking numbers of vials and amounts of duty to be paid.