TRAITOR ON HIS DEFENCE

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4817, 14 March 1918, Page 6

TRAITOR ON HIS DEFENCE

CAILLAUX’S SPEECH IN THE - CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. After a remarkable speech in which to use the striking phrase of the Academician M. Alfred Capus, lie gave the impression of a man seized by the throat and struggling desperately to release himself, tlie French Chamber has voted the suspension of the parliamentary immunity of M. Caillaux (writes the Paris correspondent of the Dailv Mail recently). This enables the military authorities to open proceedings against him on the lines indicated in General D 11bail’s report concerning liis relations with 8010 and the “Bonnet Rouge” hand and his alleged “defeatist” propaganda in Rome. The House met at 9 a.lll. for this historic sitting. Crowds waited outside the Palais Bourbon to watch the arrival of members, and both the body of the House and the public galleries were crowded. They were rewarded with tlie most striking oratorical effort of the ex-Premier’s political career. When after a brief introductory speech by the secretary of the Commission which had reported on the case the moment came for M. Caillaux to speak, he almost ran up the steps leading to the tribune. Tall and lithe, he gives an impression of exuberant energy and.nervous force, but a force only partly under control. Fresh of color, with a neatly trimmed moustache and a bald, well-sliaped head, liis whole attitude is instinct with a sort of impatient haughtiness which is the elniracterishas been one of France’s foremost tic of the man who for twenty years statesman. Every gesture and accent bespeaks liis surprise and suppressed anger at having thus to defend himself. Even when lie drops his voice to a modulated whisper, as when he referred to certain domestic passages of his life, strangled indignation speaks in every accent. M. Caillaux possesses every art of the French orator, hut he is ill-served by his voice, which is rasping and unsympathetic. * His speech, which lasted two hours, would have left an English audience cold. He had relieved the tension hv announcing that he himself did not oppose the suspension of his parliamentary immunity ._ _ M. Clemen-c-eau. on the front Ministerial bench, sat through it all with folded arms, unmoved, and inscrutable.

ON GOOD ■ TERMS WITH BOLO

M. Cailiaux declared in substance that the whole thing was a conspiracy against him for which the French Ambassador inßome was' responsible. He began by saying that it was with great relief that at last he, had an opportunity .of expressing his indignation at the accusations against him. He was accused of engaging in underhand intrigues with the object of changing the policy of France and separating her from the Allies. To this he gave the strongest possible denial. He had never attempted to approach the enemy, and though there had been efforts to get into touch with him he had spurned them as soon as he realised what was going it was quite true, he said, that lie was on good terms with 8010, of whose honor he received the most emphatic assurances from a Judge occupying a high position. _.lii regard to the “Bonnet Rouge M. Caillaux said that lie certainly supplied this paper with money before the war. but this was to defend himself against his enemies, and the prosecution did not produce the slightest proof of knowledge on liis part that the “Bonnet Rouge’’ money came from abroad. Dealing with wliat he is alleged to lia've said during his visit to Rome, M. Cailiaux declared that the only politician he saw was Signor Martini. It was suggested that he should meet Signor Salandra, hut he declined. It was a fact that lie lunched at the house of the Marchioness Ricci (Cavallini’s friend), but the conversation was of an absolutely patriotic character. M. Cailiaux complained of outrageous proceedings towards him on the part of the French Ambassador at Rome, and maintained that the reports from military and naval, attaches should he taken with caution. Going on ,to discuss his own career, M. Cailiaux said it was not true that lie ever followed a policv of alliance with Germany. His policy was to exclude any formal or general agreement with Germany until the AlsaceLorraine question had been settled in conformity with French ideas, though ho did not deliberately bar conferences or understandings on well-de-fined or limited subjects. Since 1914 he had consistently refrained from harassing successive Governments by criticism. “THE ROME ROMANCE.” It was not forbidden, however, M. Cailiaux argued, to study the peace problem or to say it was not enough for the Government to carry on the war, but that it must also pave the way for peace. It was most unjust to apply the term “defeatist” to anyone who held these views. No Frenchman wanted defeat and no one ever thought of breaking a French alliance, especially with such a nation as England, to whom the admiration of all democrats brought up in respect for English culture and traditions went out spontaneously. Summing up his argument, M. Cailiaux observed : . “The Rome romance has no existence and its scaffolding is collapsing on all sides. Why is this charge brought against me after lying dormant for ten months P It is because my opinions are not orthodox.” In an impassioned peroration lie said that, far from hearing any grudge against his colleagues of the Chamber, he would thank them for suspending his parliamentary immunity so that ho could come before a court of law and dispose once and fox all of the calumnies invented against him. Then, with an energetic gesture, M. Caillajix snatched up his papers, threw a last defiant glance towards the. Government benches, and hastened back . to his seat, warmly cheered by his friends. . The afternoon sitting was clneiiy taken up by speeches of Socialists like MM. Bracke and Renaudel in an attempt to argue that no case had been made out against .M. Cailiaux. but the Chamber eventually voted the suspension of his parliamentary privilege by 396 votes t 0,2, the Socialists as a body abstaining.”