France: Overdose

Political refugees are getting a cool reception in many parts of the world, but few are so unpopular as those who are pouring into France's seaport city of Marseille. They are the refugee European pieds-noirs from Algeria. Since May 1, the new arrivals have swollen Marseille's population from 800,000 to nearly 1,000.000—and the city is beginning to burst at the seams. "The pieds-noirs are like sleeping pills," said one local official. "You can safely swallow only a certain dose."

Marseille figured it was getting an overdose. Of the 12,000 hotel rooms in...

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