THE REASON OF THE CRIME.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 9

THE REASON OF THE CRIME.

*'I ONLY DID MY DUTY."

PARIS EXCITED.

(ReceiTed March 17th, 10.15 p.m.)

PARIS, March 17

M.. Calmette's animus against M. Caillaux dates from the Moroccan incident in 1910. When M. Caillaux was again returned to office, the "Figara" daily attacked him politically and personally, and accused him of bribery, notably over the Rochette case in 1910, in which steps were taken in the Chamber of Deputies for the production of the Public Prosecutor's confidential report, disclosing M. Caillaux's action. It was reported that the ,f Figaro" intended to reproduce a facsimile of the document; and it is supposed that this impelled Madame Caillaux to visit M. Calmette. She bought a revolver during the afternoon. As M. Calmette fell she said: "I only did my duty."

M.' Caillaux heard the news in the Senate, and hastened to the police station, where his wife told her story to the Magistrate without emotion. She was then conveyed to St. ILazare Pri*son. It is reported that M. Cailaux resisted this course.

A mob outside the station rushed at him, shouting "Down with the assassin!"

Crowds during the evening promenaded the boulevards, shouting "Down with Cai-laux!'-

M. Caillaux was formerly Premier of France, and his Ministry w*as turned out because it was ascertained that he had been conducting negotiations with Germany without consulting his colleagues. The "Figaro" is one of the leading Paris newspapers. It is noted for its social news and its high literary standard. The'attacks by the late M. Calmette on M. Caillaux have recently at/tracted much attention. The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" wrote in January:—"M. Calmette's animus against M. Caillaux lias always been marked. It was he who mentioned in the French Press, nrst,'an incident between M. Caillaux and the British Ambassador in Paris in 1911, and, sceondly, one between M. Caillau-c and the Spanish Ambassador in Paris at about the same time. When M. Caillaux came into power again, and took over the Ministry of Finance about a month ago, the '"Figarof' started a daily campaign jigatnst him, at first accusing him merely in a general way of ruining French finance and driving France to bankruptcy.'' Then came a direct attack, spread over several days, M Calmette concluding each ar'ticlo with 'To be continued tomorrow." He accused M. Caillaux of making Jin offer to the claimants of an estate alleged to have been appropriated by the Government, that he would obtain £200,000 from the public funds to settle the claim if they would hand over 80 per cent, of the amount for the funds of the Radical Party. Another charge was that M. Caillaux, using his authority as Minister of Finance, compelled the well-known bank, the Conrotoir d'Escompte. to advance a sum of £16,000 to M. (-'aillaux for tho party funds. M. Caillaux made a dadv denial of the charges, and persons mentioned by M. Calmette as implicated also gave denials. "Paris looked on amused," said the correspondent. "In practice there is no libel law here, the result being that such newspaper warfare in tho end does litatle more than provide entertainment.'"

A few days after this, M. calmatto went off on another tack. He said- — "To-morrow we shall begin the publication of a series of wcu-doCTimented notes which establish tho fatal sole played by M. Caillaux tn the eve-its that preceded the despatch of the Herman gunboat- to- Agadir Our reariers will realise, along with all the statesmen and diplomatists long since well Informed on this question, that the (ierman demonstration was tho result of the accumulated mistakes of our pre-<-ent Minister of Finance. The nnttaflation of our colonies was consequently his direct and personal work. It is my hop> that the teaching: of history may save us from tire still graver cenpequeneos to which we are exposed by ,\l. Cai"l*"ux. who ha- returned tn power at a still more troublous hour."