ALLEGED SELF-INFLICTED WAR WOUNDS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17401, 11 March 1922, Page 3

ALLEGED SELF-INFLICTED WAR WOUNDS.

A court-martial assembled at Nancy recently to try M. Ernest Vilgrain, French under-Secretary of State for Food during the war, and formerly, a lieutenant in the French Army Reserve, who is charged with having got away from the front in August, 1914, by means of a self-inflicted revolver wound. This, lie stated, lie had received from a man dressed as a soldier who attacked him while he was motoring alone through a wood. M. Vilgrain is the son of a wealthy miller, and his appointment to a Ministerial post at tno age of 37 by M. Clemenceau caused surprise in France. The "Vilgrain Sheds," which he established, and where cheap food was sold to .the population of Paris, were a characteristic feature of the city streets during the war. After the Clemenceau Cabinet retired charges were brought against M. Vilgrain of having abused i,.s Ministerial position to carry out profitable deals in' flour. . During the campaign thus started against him the circumstances of his retirement « from the front in 1914 were raised, and a few weeks ago he was arrested. The'story which M. Vilgrain repeated to the Court to-day was , that on August 22nd, 1914, he was driving along a road through a forest when he met a man in a French uniform who called upon him to stop. He had just got out of his car when he was tired at by the stranger and wounded in the hand. M. Vilgrain said he then went to General Fayolle's headquarters, where the general, after congratulating him on ms escape, shook his hand, saying, "You are a bravo man." M. Vilgrain also told the Court that he was suffering from appendicitis when the war started, and could, have claimed exemption from service until he had been operated upon. He preferred, however, to accept , light duty aa. a motorcar driver.