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A FRENCH TRAITOR.

THE CAILLAUX REVELATIONS

(By Cable)

The arrest of M. Caillaux, tho Ex-French Premier, has caused a sensation in Paris. It is understood that the Italian Government forwarded important documents found in a safa' at Florence in a house rented in the name Renouard. This is the name under which Caillaux travelled in Italy. Baron Sonnino has forwarded these documents to M. Clemenceau, who will publish them shortly. Le Matin states that Mr Lansing has communicated to M. Clemenceau translations of the Luxburg despatches dealing with negotiations between M. Caillaux and the German Government during and after Caillaux's visit to the Argentine in 1916, disclosing that Caillaux desired the. earliest possible peace, with a view to the restoration of Franco-German trade. Caillaux urged that the success of this aim required a negotiator whom the French public would not suspect as likely to enter into negotiations .with her enemies, and therefore he requested Germany to warn the newspapers which had been praising him, and Luxburg telegraphed advising Berlin to instruct tho newspapers to adopt an attitude of strong hostility to Caillaux. The translation of the despatches shows that Count Bernstorff urged Germany to capture the steamer Araguaya, leaving Buenos Aires on January 13, 1915, car lying M. Caillaux, also important papers. One of Bernstorff's messages quotes Caillaux as declaring that the war is now a matter of England struggling for existence. Another message says: "Caillaux welcomes indirect courtesies from Bernstorff, but advises caution." Public excitement in Paris over the Caillaux disclosurees continues though Caillaux's political adherents are markedly quieter since his arrest, and many are showing a tendency to desert the ex-Premier. The safe in the villa he occupied in Florence was discovered owing to a telegraph office receiving a message for transmission to Florence reading "I forbid the safe being opened," signed "Raynourd." - The censor who received this message knew that Caillaux had travelled to Italy under this name, and he reported the fact to the authorities, who requested the Italian officials to open the safe. They found £IO,OOO in gold, some beautiful jewels, also a list of civil servants to be dismissed if Caillaux returned to power, and a list of politicians to be rewarded. The papers showed that Caillaux intended to seize power in France and impose peace, after rupturing the alliance between France, Italy, and Britain. The Daily Chronicle's Milan correspondent 'states that the most important documents found in Caillaux's safe cover a scheme for the utter overthrow of the Constitution of France and. provision for a coup d'etat. These were " drafted throughout in Caillaux's handwriting, arranged neatly in articles and paragraphs, and bear his final signature. Appended is a long list of generals, senators, and deputies on whose active assistance Caillaux counted. General Sarrail was to assume a military dictatorship, of which the first act would be to arrest MM. Poincare and Briand, and all others who have figured prominently in the government of France since the war. The French Chamber was to be forthwith dissolved, and the Senate reduced to Caillauxites, who would nominate a dictatorial commission under Caillaux and General Sarrail. The Daily Chronicle's Milan correspondent states : With, it is understood', the connivance of Germany, General Sarrail and Caillaux were to organise a fictitious offensive, culminating in a German offer of peace to France, and thereupon begin official pourparlers, in virtue ot a secret preliminary agreement, whereby Germany was to cede a small portion of Lorraine in consideration for a pledge that France would immediately sever all connection with Britain. France was then to constitute with Italy a Latin bloc, which would conclude a formal pact with the Central Powers, with the object of forming a single federation of European States, from which Britain and Russia were alone to be excluded. France and Italy should rather aim at an understanding with Germany, France being content to return to the status quo ante, Italy forgoing the major part of her pretentions against Austria. The Giolittian organs and other newspapers in Italy were to actively advocate these schemes. This damning dossier has been lying for a year in a locker at a Florentine bank hired by Mme. Caillaux. It was opened by the Italian authorities upon the request of the French" Government, and its contents were taken to Rome under the escort of the military police, where each document was copied and photographed. The copies were forwarded to Captain Bourchardon. Avho. is collecting evidence in Paris against Caillaux. It is estimated that Mme. Caillaux'3 jewels were worth £25,000. II Secolo (Milan) points out that- these amazing revelations tally with Caillaux's propaganda in 1917 among Italian politicians, in the course of which he urged that the war was simply a struggle for world dominion between Britain and Germany, and the interests of France and Italy were diametrically opposed to Britain's triumph. Caillaux has been remanded. He will be treated as a politics! prisoner, and so is allowed an extra mattress and blankets and an arm-chair, also to obtain his meals from a restaurant. OTHER ARRESTS. M. Hanan, Paris correspondent of an Italian newspaper, has been arrested in connection with the Caillaux charges. Hugo Schmidt, 8010 ha*s paymaster and American agent of the Berlin Deutsche Bank, has been interned.

DEBATE IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. '

The French Chamber of Deputies passed a vote of confidence in M. Clemenceau after one of the most heated debates ever heard in the Chamber. M. Descbamel was compelled to suspend the session in order to re-establish calm. The trouble arose after a Socialist interpellation against the Royalist paper Action Francaise.

To this members on the Right delivered a counter-attack, and M. Puglicsseconti accused 19 deputies of collaborating in the newspaper Limouges, which was founded with German money, and in which Liebknecht and Bernstein (German Socialists) are interested. They further accused M. Longuet, who is Karl Marx's grandson, of writing for a German Swiss paper. Finally the Chamber, by 366 votes to 113, adopted an order of the day stating that the Government should check all Royalist and other movements attempting to create civil war, and expressing confidence in the Government to act.

During the debate, a Socialist deputy, M. Mayeras, struck M. Pngliessconti, whp subsequently sent his second to M. Mayeras, who declined to admit himself in the wrong, as Pugliessconti had produced a revolver. M. Pnbliessconti then sent his second to M. Longuet. M. Malvy has been cited to the High Court on Monday to answer M. Daubet'a charges of supplying the enemy with Trench military aiid diplomatic plans, particularly the plan of the Chemin des Dames atta-jk ; also of encouraging the enemy by promoting "&nd inciting mutiny. The case is expected to be opened on the 28th insfc.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19180123.2.70

Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 29

Word Count
1,120

A FRENCH TRAITOR. Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 29

A FRENCH TRAITOR. Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 29