CAILLAUX GOES INSANE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 220, 16 September 1919, Page 5

CAILLAUX GOES INSANE.

END OF HIS TKIAt. (■Received 0.4.", a.m.) PARIS, September 13. ~SL Caillaux (rx-Premier of France), who was undergoing trial for treachery during tlie war, lum become insane. j He was sent to a private hospital liy J order of the judges last week, and to-day, !it beinjr clear tiiat lie was no loiter J responsible for his actions. In- was transferred to a private asylum.— (A. and 1 X.Z. Cable.)

The gravamen of the charges against 'aillrux is that Germany intrigued with ' lira lo secure a peace understanding at Britain's expense. The scheme provided \ or the evacuation of the occupied teritories of France and Belgium without ' ndemnities. and the ceding of portion of i Usace tt> France, in return for liberty ; >ein<,' given to Germany to continue the far cgalnst Britain. He was involved ' n the 8010 scandals and in the efforts ' nade by the Germans to carry on their 1 lefeatist campaign in the Frencli Press, j Sis sinister influence on the French conluet was only broken when M. Clemen- j •eau returned to power. 'Hip tiger of j France immediately took steps which i >ut Caillaux behind the bars to face the j jravest charge which could possibly be j >rought against a statesman. Caillaux j tias lived a tempestuous life. He was j it the head of the Government at the j Lime of the Agadir incident, and on that ' occasion M. Clcmenceau brought him! down by suddenly unmasking the fact ! that 51. Caillaux. as Prime Minister, had i conducted the negotiations with <!er-| many behind the back of his own Mm- | istcr of Foreign Affairs. It was ni-1 moured and believed that the Machia- ! vollian statesman had enriched himself in bifr financial deals with the Germans, j He was believed to be enormously rich. | Then fame a series of accusations of n still more damaging character in the "Figaro," in which the paper unfortunately mixed up with matters of public , importance a few letters, of an amorous kind. That, campaign was closed by Mme. CaillauM. who went to the office of the "Figp.ro" and shot the editor, M. Cabnette. Even in face of this crime }L Caillaux did not lost his nerve. He defended his wife with indomitable spirit, ho maintained his popularity in his constituency of La Sarthc, and he finally triumphed in the. acquittal which closed the er.ae. His popularity with a lar-fc section of the people of France continued until the disclosures of the treachery hunt showed him un in his true lifrht and made him the most detested man i:i Franco, though he was firmly believed in and supported liy a strong circle if personal friends. i When M. Cnillaux was arrested, his safe was opened at Florence, and the contents made thing.-! look extremely black for him. M. "Renonard," tho name under which he travelled in Italy, had foolishly kept papers which connected him with yon Luxburg. and in which tlie latter referred to Caillaux's negotiations with Germany. A telegram from yon Luxlrarg was also discovered in which the amiable Eomonter of trouble in South America advised the Willielmstrasse to instruct the Berlin newspapers to manifect hostility to Caillaux. Witnesses were found who testified to the former Premier's plans to form a Pacifist Ministry, and more damning of all a whole scheme was found to have been drawn up. .a scheme which included the ruin of patriotic politicians. Another piece of evidence against Caillaux was his correspondence with yon Bernstorff, or rather the count's correspondence with him. Tho count, on his recall from America, actually wrote lo Cailhiax asking that hn should he treated with courtesy if his ship wore captiire'd. Caillaux was also busy on a plan to estrange France. Italy and England. In pursuance of this idea, on a visit to South America he pave an interview in which ho said: ''Our war with Germany is a folly and a crime. France is pullin c the' chestnuts out of the fire for England." After Caillaux's arrest, the world was startled by the news that General Sarrail, who was in charge of the army in Salonika, had been recalled. The reason of this was that Caillaux, when he had formed his Ministry, had arranged tc jrive Sarrail command of the Frenc!< Army. Sarrail may not have been consulted, but it was obvious that his recall was necessary. Other j'a|K'r-i showed that Caillaux'i intrigues extended to Turkey, and twe days after his arrest Paul Comby and M Loustalot, two of his accomplices it I these negotiations, ■were arrested.