DRAMA OF SAHARA DESERT IS TOLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19108, 28 June 1930, Page 19 (Supplement)

DRAMA OF SAHARA DESERT IS TOLD.

(Special to the “ Star.”) PARIS, May 4. The full story of a desert drama of more than thirty years ago, which, though not properly understood at the time, created a lively sensation and led to the resignation of the French War Minister, has now been revealed for the first time by General Joalland in a lecture at L’Orient.

In 1899, Captains Voulet and Chancine, who were heading an expedition reconnoitring the country eastwards from the Niger to Lake Chad, lost their lives in mysterious circumstances. The expedition included three French noncoms. and 700 native men and women. General Joalland, who was a member of the party, related that Voulet and Chanoine were guilty of needless cruelties, and the Governor-General accordingly sent Colonel Klobb and Lieutenant Mevnier to relieve them of their commands.

When Colonel Klobb overtook the expedition, Captain Voulet met him and threatened to shoot him if he advanced. Colonel Klobb ignored the threat, whereon Voulet gave the order to tire, and Klobb fell dead.

Voulet then called the officers together, and said he had had Klobb killed because he (Voulet) had decided to found a Sahara Empire He asked the officers to collaborate. Joalland asked for a few hours to reflect, and next day he persuaded thirty riflemen to desert with him. .Meanwhile • the non-coms, refused to

fall in with Voulet’s scheme, and tho natives decided to bolt. Captain Chan* oine, on being informed of this, either because he wished to prevent the natives from going or because he wanted to go with them, ran in their direction, but was shot down. Voulet took to the desert with a native woman, but later returned, and found the native troops reformed by Joalland and Meynier. A sentry shot Voulet dead as he approached the camp. The sentry declared that Voulet fired first. Joalland and Meynier next year accomplished the expedition with the same troops. Meynier is now a General with an important command ia South Algeria. The War Minister of the time, whose resignation followed the ensuing scandal, was General Chanoine, the father of Captain Chanoine, •-