New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-20

1899.
Ger repeats dinner table gossip. There II known
to be Insurmountable difficulty In introducing
any one into the Ministry Of War. and IT is abso-
utely impossible for an officer 10 Drlng any one
into the Ministry
To this the General replied. mo doubt 1t is
difficult"
Colonel Jouaust-No doubt II is difficult. but 1t
is not impossible The Ministry can be entered
easily enough at certain hours. Dreyfus was In
a position to know that. (SensatonJ
DENOUNCED BY DREYFUs.
The prisoner then said: II will reply 10
Secretary Ferret who has told a lie. What /
have to say to General Gonse is that every time
a friend came to see me at the Ministry, even
when French officer was obliged To descend
to the floor below. and even members Of the
Chambers Of Deputies who called on me could
not enter the Ministry. It consequently
absolutely impossible, under ordinary circum-
stances. for a subaltern to bring any one into
the Ministry"
General Gonse declared that permits could
easily be obtained.
At this point Colonel Plcquart entered the
witness box. in order to reply to allegations as
10 the way in which he performed his duties.
He denied a number Of General Gonse's asser-
lions regarding the arrests which the witness
ordered. He also described the extraordinary
methods of investigation employed in the Intel
ligencc Department by his predecessors.
Counsel for the defense. after emphasizing the
fact that even in the opinion Of General de
Boisdeffre there was a connection between the
Esterhazy and Dreyfus affairs, asked the presi-
dent of the court to request Colonel Picquart
to give information in regard to the loo'VW
francs said to have been expended for the sur
veance Of Esterhazy.
PICQUART EXPLAINS.
Picuuart explained how the expenditure was
regulated I'm the Intelligence Department. Whle
the witness was chief Of the department. Cen
eral Blot. then Minister Of War thought 1t nee
essarv TO make a fresh distribution Of the
amounts of tho secret service funds available
al tho different Offices and the fund in the wit
ness's department was diminished by 5000
francs monthly. At this moment, said Picquart,
negotiations Of great Importance were in prog
ress and an extraordinary expenditure had peen
arranged beforehand.
This decrease in funds continued Colonel
Picduart did not prevent mo from pursuing
the extremely interesting questions upon which
I was engaged. I made a memorandum IN
which asked for supplementary grant and
100000 francs was given me. When the loo'-
600 francs was received. General Biliot MADE
another redistribution. | received 2O.OOo francs,
and with the balance remaining was response
BILE for the whole service. In any case, no
extraordinary expenditure was made in connec-
ton with the Esterhazy inquiry. There couId
not be an inquiry costing less.
I'm a note sent to the Minister Of Justice in
1896 1t was set forth that l employed as Off
cial agents the private detectives Of the Inquiry
Bureau. l only employed a single official agent.
What led to the belief that | employed private
agencies was the fact that this agent styled
himself business agent on one Of his cards
included in the dossier of the Esterhazy affair"
BILLOT's THEATRICAL STATEMENT.
Immediately after Plcquart had finished
speaking General Billot jumped up and asked
leave to speak
"Picquart" the General called sharply to the
officer. who had lust left the stand. VIII you
come back" (Sensation)
Certainly" replied Colonel Picquart
General Billot then said:
II am very pleased that Colonel Picquart has
raised the question of the secret funds. which |
ton. The secret funds are secret funds, and l
should. II l respected the purpose for which
they are assigned. say nothing about them. l
will endeavor to say nothing which should re-
main secret
THE secret funds are placed at the disposition
Of the Minister OF War for the service Of the
State. and the Minister has only to account for
them to the President OF the Republic. The
President controls and gives his discharge for
the secret funds Colonel Picquart received
from the Chief Of the General staff the funds
assigned to his department. He believed he
could DISPOSE Of them as he liked, but this the
Minister decides with regard TO the require
mens Of the service. he distributes. with the APP
prevail of the President, the secret funds at his
dIsposal [ distributed these funds as they have
been distributed for thirty years before my ad-
vent to power by all the Ministers Of War. The
sum Of 30 600 francs monthly was allowed by
the Chief of the General Staff for the Inte
gence Department When the credit of 100000
francs was asked for It for the service of
the General Staff and not for the Intelligence
Department as Colonel Picquart believes II
was asked for on the report Of General de Bots
deffre (then Chief Of the General Staff. and not
on the report Of Colonel Picquart, for the gem
eral service Of the secret war funds. These
funds were expended. Colonel Picquart
stated 5000 francs by myself. and, az Cen
eral Roget said 10000 francs in 1896 and 10000
francs in 1897 by General Gonse. The re-
mainder was placed at the disposal OF my sue
cessor, NJ de Freycinet. who had this sum liqui-
dated by President Loubet
II will not say another word But l must
deal with the perfdous insinuaton made TO the
Court of Cessation, which Is calculated to deal
a blow to the delicacy. loyalty and honor Of the
Minister of War"