TRIAL OF KLOTZ.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 11

TRIAL OF KLOTZ.

FORMER FRENCH MINISTER.

ALLEGATIONS OF FORGERY. |

Australian Press Apsocintion—United Service (Received July 12, 7.(5 p.m.) PARIS, July 12.

The trial was begun to-day of M. Klotz, who was seven times French Minister of Finance, and a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles, on charges of uttering cheques when he hnd insufficient, means to meet them, and also with issuing bills of exchange with false signatures.

M. Klotz was pale and haggard. The defence argued that he had acted without intent to defraud.

A sensation was caused on December 11 in tho Senato by the announcement by M. Paul Doumer, a former Minister, of Finance, that tho Minister of Justice,' M. Barthou, intended to seek authority to initiate legal proceedings against M. Louis Lucien Klotz, who was a brilliant financier, and had been Minister of Finance in several Governments. He was reported later to have had a breakdown and been taken to a mental hospital. He had sustained heavy losses in financial transactions, and in gambling at a seaside casino. It was alleged that lie paid his losses with cheques which were dishonoured. Ho was later declared by threo mental specialists "'perfectly sauo and fully responsible for his acts."

It was revealed that M. Klotz had lost nil his fortune, estimated at 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 francs, in gambling on the turf or in casinos or clubs.

One complaint against liim last November was that in buying a motor-car for £1720 ho had given two cheques which failed to be honoured. For a £'lßo necklace in a jeweller's shop in tho Avenue de l'Opcra it was said lie gave a cheque for £BOO, asking for tho difference in cash. The cheque was not honoured. On another occasion M. Klotz was said to have purchased a pearl necklace for £6400, paid with a cheque which was not honoured. The nccklaco was resold the following day.

M. Klotz was born in Paris in January, 1868. His family came from Alsace. He is a lawyer by profession and practises at the Court of Appeal. But he early began to occupy himself with journalism and politics. In 1893 ho stood for the Chamber of Deputies, hut was not elected until 1893, when the Somme Department returned him.' Ho soon became a member of the Finance Commission and rapporteur-generalo for tho Budget. In 1910 ho joined M. Briand's Cabinet as Finance Minister and retained that post under M. Caillaux (1911), M. Poincare (1912), and M. Briand (1913). . In M. Barthou's Government, formed in the same year, lie was Minister of tho Interior.

On the outbreak of the war M. Klotz; served at first as a reservo officer under the Governor of Paris. Then he returned to Parliament, where ho was appointed president of tho War Dainago Commission and later of tho Budget Commission. In September, 1917, ho again became Finance Minister in M. Poincare's Government, and held that office in the Clemenceau Cabinet which followed it.