FRENCH TREASON CASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19333, 20 November 1924, Page 7

FRENCH TREASON CASE

M. CAILLAUX AMD MALVY. AMNESTY GRANTED BY SENATE. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, November 18. The Senate passed a resolution granting an amnesty to M. Caillaux (a former Prime Minister) and M. Malvy (a former Minister), whom tire High Court banished for alleged defeatist activities in war time. Several Senators opposed the amnesty to M. Caillaux, on the ground that lus oli’enco was too grave for pardon. General Stuhl, on behalf of the exservico men, declared that M. Caillaux was not repentant, and would commit the same olfeuce again if an occasion offered. M. Gustavo Harvo said that At. Caillaux would appear on the scene with more ambitions than ever. His one desire was to resume control of Prance. At. Herriot, in reply, pointed out that M. Caillaux was condemned not for communicating intelligence to the enemy, hut for corresponding with enemy subjects. Ho urged Senators to consign to oblivion political quarrels. Replying to a question by a Senator whether or not he thought M. Malvy guilty, M. Poincare recalled the fact that At. Alalvy was tried a* his own request. M. Poincare added that no act by M. Malvy denoting lack of patriotism had ever come to his knowledge. The resolution granting an amnesty to M. Caillaux was carried by 176 votes to 104, and the resolution granting an amnesty to M. Malvy was carried by 195 votes to 62.-—Reuter. The names of M. Malvy and M. Caillaux revive memories of days which were dark for both Franco and the Allies. A French offensive launched in 1917 at the Chcmin dcs Dames ridge, in tho Champagne, proved a disastrous failure. Worse than that, it was followed by signs of serious disaffection among the French troops, some of tho best fighting regiments being affected. Rumours began of extensive defeatist propaganda among the soldiers. When the affair moved from rumours to definite charges, it was apparent that certain men, high in public life, must sijbmit to having their conduct investigated. Chief among them were M. Malvy and M. Caillaux. Tho proceedings were long and complicated. Tho notorious and sinister 8010 Pasha, friend of the exKhedivo of Egypt, and chief agent of Germany in the “campaign to gain control of French newspapers, was found guilty of treason and executed in April, 1918. His fall made the outlook black for tho two politicians. They wore brought to trial. In August, 1918, M. Alalvy was found guilty of grave dereliction of duty, in that, as Alinister for the Interior, he had failed to check enemy and defeatist propaganda. Many witnesses declared that he had not tried to do so, that in fact he had obstructed those "who did. He was sentenced to five years of exile, but without civic degradation. Proceedings against M. Caillaux wero much more protracted. He was not finally brought to trial-until 1920, when, after a lengthy hearing, he was found guilty of having been in relation with enemy agents; with having been in correspondence with tho enemy with having given to the enemy information of value for the conduct of defeatist propaganda. Tho sentence was three years’ imprisonment and 10 years’ loss of civic rights. As he had been under arrest for more than three years, he was released, but was forbidden to visit Paris without permission. He was also ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution. Public feeling in Franco }iad .lost much cf its heat before the trial of M. Caillaux concluded. He had maintained that he acted from policy, a policy of conciliation instead of revenge. Since that time, tho fevers of the war time have further abated. Both Malvy and Caillaux have gradually emerged from tho seclusion into which each went after condemnation. As indicating tho change in the public mind, M. Malvy was returned to tho Chamber of Deputies at the general election some months ago.