VANISHED MILLIONS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 4

VANISHED MILLIONS

$ CREAT JUDICIAL SCANDAL IN FRANCE.

STATE MONEYS GAMBLED AWAY. Tho Paris correspondent of tho London "Daily News," writing on March 9, states:— The case of M. Duez, tho official liquidator of French religious Congregations, whoso arrest created such a sensation, promises to ho a sort of Panama affair. I am told thoro is an unpleasant prospect*of endless scandals, in which a great number of officials are mixed up. The affair is grave enough to have occupied most of tho time of to-day's Cabinet Council, with M. Fallieres presiding. The Council has decided to appoint immediately financial inspectors to assist the Courts and tho Parliamentary Commission in their inquiries. 1 The Commission, of which M. Combes is chairman, ha-s received a voluminous statement mado by its reporter, M. Porrior. According to this report, the embezzlements to which M. Duez himself confesses aro nearer tell than five million fraiics. 'l'lioro was a lively discussion, at tho end of which it was resolved to ascertain tho reasons for

M. Duez's appointment to tho responsible position of liquidator, and for his continuance there after the talo of his irregularities began to leak out. His personal relations with public officials and other influential persons, with professional men whom ho employed, and with persons, who benefited by' his assignments of conventional property aro to bo scrutinised. M. Combes is resolved to spare no 1 effort to drag all tho guilty people, whoever they may bfi, into tho light of day. Tho Prime Minister is of exactly tho same. mind. "Publicity, impartial scrutiny are of. tho essenco Ol the llepublic"—such is M. Briand's reply to tho Clericals, who attribute tho embezzlement of the Congregations' property to Republican secrecy and immorality. Tho Parliamentary' Commission severely blamed the. Tribunal 'of the Seine for having accepted. M.. Ducz's resignation pure and , simple, 'in spite df the fnct that the Procurator of tlio Eepublic had already dismissed him, with legal proceedings to follow. It also expresses its astonishment that so excessive a numbor as 148 liquidations of important Congregations should have been assigned to three liquidators only. Interminable delays in submitting tho accounts were tho result. M. Duez himself, to justify his repeated and successful applications for delays, said ho had 100,000 documents to report upon. No wonder if vast sums of money have evaporated under such conditions.

31. Duoh was appointed ton years ago, after the passing of tho WaldeckItousseau Act, from which somo twentyfivo to forty millions sterling wero expected to bo appropriated by the State. Large sums of money have, indeed, been handed to tho State and tho Communes, and used for charitable purposes. But; somehow it was noticed, first by M. Combos, then by M. Briand, that tho process of liquidation was, in somo cases, extremely slow. M. Dura, who had been ontrusted with tho liquidation of' thirteen Congregations, somo of them vory rich, had failed sinco 1901' to present any accounts, and when an inquiry was insisted on, a year ago, M. Duoz tendered his resignation, saying that tho duties of a liquidator >voro too exacting. However, .ho called upon his successor, M. Lcmnrquis, and there mado a full confession of his guilt. "Sobbing ' and weeping, ho. "declared that ho. had gambled away on tho Stock. Exchange all tho-money that had come into his hands.- ' ' ■'' \ ' ■ ■ One of the largest establishments entrusted to M. Duez wis tho famous Collego Stanislas, two million francs for tho purchase of which wore paid to tho liquidator, and ' havo evaporated without leaving tho smallest traco behind them. 'According to the law on'tho dissolved . societies, the heirs of certain classes of pious founders aro entitled to inherit properties no longer applicable, to tho puiyoses to which thoy were originally assigned: A great many of theso heirs wero unaware of the legality of their claims, M. Duez soarchcd for them. Ho had a "genealogist" in his pay. Often, it is said, tho lucky heir signed a contract with tho "gonoalogist," surrendering half tho property ho was about to roccivo—in orio instance, it is said, a sum of £20,000. In another caso, tho heir discovered by ,M. Duez refused to deliver; M. Duez thereupon discovered another and moro .accommodating heir, nearer of kin to 'tho pious fonnder ; and ready to go halves with- tho liquidator.