VICTIMISING VICHY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

VICTIMISING VICHY.

SECRET HOSTILE CAMPAIGN.

TRACED TO BERLIN PRINTER.

FAILURE TO DISCOVER SOURCE.

In pre-war days, from the time ilme. de Sevigne made the watering-place popular, Vichy, oh the right bank of the Allier in Central France, enjoyed a great reputation as a cure place. Its yearly visitors grew in number from 30,000 to more than 100,000. During the war this number rose considerably higher owing to the fact that wounded soldiers were sent there to convalesce. Then gradually the number of its patrons grew, less, until last year there were scarcely 20,000 visitors, and the name of Vichy appeared less frequently in the sociai columns of the European Press.

In 192T it was discovered that circulars attacking the 250-year reputation of the watering-place were bemg distributed to tourists at the ports of Europe—come even on board ship. These, printed in English, Portuguese, Spanish and German, did not at once attract the attention of those interested in the success of Vichy. The circulars bore the names of certain doctors, warning people against going to Vichy—the town wa3 unhealthful, the hotel prices were exorbitant, and the curative powers of the waters were seriously questioned.

All last year agents of '"Hotel," a monthly published in several languages in the interests of European hotels and their owners, tried in vaia to uneamh the secret of the circulars. This year the matter was placed in the hands of AL Roquere, chief of the Surete General/!, or French National Detective Force. Two of his agents found ten persons at Havre, Cherbourg and Nice who were distributing the circulars and arrested them. A search of their hotel rooms repealed packages of the circulars which, on the outside, bore the name of a Berlin printer. The arrested persons, on being questioned, said that they had received letters by post asking them whether they would be willing to distribute circulars at so much a thousand and had accepted the offer.

M. Roquere communicated with " his colleague in Berlin- and the printer there was interrogated. He eaid, he had been receiving orders to print the circulars in the usual course of business, but could tell nothing about his customer, as a messenger had always brought the order and had called for the circulars when printed.