Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-09
DUEZ RObS FRANCE
Liquidator of Ecclesiastical
Property Took 100000.
ARRESTED AS EMBEZZLER
Great Financial Scandal Involves
Loss of $20o,O0O,OOO.
CHURCH PROPERTY DIssIPATED
Abbeys and Converts Sold for Song
Proceeds Eaten UP in Fees.
Big Sum to Government.

| PARIS. March 9-The arrest OF NJ.
/ Duez. following his confession that he
had misappropriated something like
s1.onoO0o of funds derived from sales of
church property for which he was
liquidator. has created great sensation.
Intimations are freely made that other
/ liqudators in the employ of the govern
ment are similarly involved.
The republican press finds no words of
excuse for the disgraced official and lays
much of the responsibility for the con-
amount of work assigned to a single
liquidator.
At the same time the papers accord
the government unstinted praise for its
courage in boldly exposing the scandal
on the eve of the general elections. II
Is sure TO become a powerful weapon
in the hands of its Catholic adversaries,
who for months have been organizing a
genuine political campaign
I Ammunition for Church PARTY.
The Catholic and royaIist opposttion
press generally manifest high glee over
the exposure. which. they declare con-
hrms the suspicious entertained that the
properly of the churches. monasteries
ana converts appropriated by the state
instead of furnishing 100000, 900 for old
age pensions and other social reforms as
tine proletariat had been taught to he
heve at the time separation of church
and state was voted, had disappeared
Finto the pockets of thieving politicians
TIE Faction Franchise today remarks
cynicalIy:
Duez, being charged by the govern
ment to steal the church's property, can
hardly be blamed for taking a part of the
booty for himself" ....,
l. The chamber of deputies is NOT -ihs' 'sxs !
sion interpretations are expected sins the
senate =.
I The goverrfpent. while admitting that
the task set for the liquidators was too
iarge-fn one case a single lquidator hav-
| ing charge of the disposal of the prop
erty OF seventy-four congregations-claim
lilal When the report of Irregularities was
nrSt Drulted two years ago il did it's full
duty by relieving some liouidators of a
part or their work. calling for their ac-
counts and appointing an Investigating
committee. of which former Premier
|
the legal Investigations which resulted in
the arrest of Duez
Duez Otherwise Involved.
Duez was what is known as an official
receiver a sort OF branch of the mag
| istracy. In addition to his shortage in
the congregation accounts the liquidator
admits he is short $2DO,UGO in connection
with other affairs confided to his charge.
/ He had the management of the liquida-
ton for thirteen congregations, involving
over 100000 documents and accounts
These are in such confusion that it is
impossible to determine accurately the
total of his defalcation, which may great
ly exceed the s1OOO.OO0 originally esti-
mated.
| Besides the admitted shortage Duez is
charged with having pocketed rake-offs
for aiding genealogist who acted as his
accomplice. The genealogist sought out
the heirs to the funds which had been
| left to the congregation, many OF whom
were living at distant points and ignor-
ant of the fact that they were entitled
| to recover anything.
! From these he secured contracts. 1t is
alleged. through which they relinaushed
| TO the genealogist 30 per cent of what
was due them in consideration of his
services in the matter.
Another Gigantic Scandal.
One of those great financial scandals
which have marked the history of the
third French republic has again forced
it. way on the public attention. While
1t is not as big as the Panama affair. the
proba bilities are that the church property
lpecuations will dwarf the Humbert
| scandal and others of recent years
| Duez was tie official liquidator of the
property of the Redemptionists. the OBJ
lates, Oratorians. Ladies Of st. Maur and
the Brothers of Christian Schools, whicn
latter has Loo establishments in France
and Algeria.
Duez has confessed that he has lost
| in bourse speculations over 5.OU,OD
francs S1.OoO0O0 of the proceeds of his
| sale of the ecclesiastical properties.
\ This tremendous shortage will not,
| however close the scandalous reports,
flor II is charged that lawyers employed
in the liauidations have mulcted the gov
| ernment in other enormous sums in ex
L<essive fees.
| b Duez Long Under Suspicion.
/ The Aye Of suspicion has been directed
| toward NJ. Duez for some time. Several
months ago NJ. BRAND. then minister of
| Justice reported to parliament that the
1 work of three liquidators of church prop
erty would bear watching.
| Duez was one of these three. An in
vestigation of his accounts was under
/ taken.
I At the time of seauestratfon 1t was
stated with much political effect that the
$oOO,DO.OO which represented the hospi-
tails schools and converts of the various
religious orders would be turned over
to the state and used to pay the old age
pensions to the laboring classes.
All this property has been sold or is
now being sold by the various public Of
ficials. Naturally the politicians and po-
i litical lawyers were not idle, and their
fees and peculations have eaten up a
good part OF the proceeds.
i The minister of justice in his third re-
port dealing with the sales effected in
/ 1pOS disclosed some ANA zing facts.
Fees Eat Up Proceeds.
Thus out of 1Os sales of religious houses
forty-three brought in absolutely not one
penny-everything went in costs" The
fees paid the lawyers have run up into
the hundreds of thousands of dollars
Among those whose names figure in the
official list is NJ. Millerand, the former
socialist minister. with his secretaries
The names of many other deputies appear
The report Of 13o6 also shows that In