The Washington herald., 1910-03-12
FRENCH DEPUTIES
STIRRED By REPORT
Scandal of Duez's Embezzle-
ment Growing Daily.
ACT AssAILED BY SOCIALIST
NJ. Jaures Receives an Ovation
when He InferpeIiates the Govern
ment on Liquidation of Religious
regations-Premier BRAND As
sures Him Full Information.

Paris, March 1.-THE scandal growing
out Of Duez's embezzlement of funds OBJ
tanned through the liquidation of religious
congregations under the separation act
gains in Importance.
Rumors Of further revelations continue,
and they received countenanee in the
Chamber of Deputies this afternoon dur
ing a debate arising from interpretations
put TO the government concerning Duez's
defaIcatiOns.
It has been a long time since the cham
Der was so stirred
The house itself was full, the galleries
flowed on the staireases and into the cor
ridors, while the lobbys were almost Inn
passable. and hundreds Of persons on the
street vsinly tried 10 enter.
NJ. Jaures, the Socialist leader, and NJ.
Berry. one OF the most prominent Ma
tionalists. were the interpellators. NJ.
Jaures was given precedence. He re-
ceived an ovation from the members of
the Left when ne entered the tribunal.
Speaking with his customary eloquenee,
he demanded to know how Duez was able
Great humiliation. he declared. had been
brought on the republic by the scandal.
It was not for the sake Of the churches
money that the separation Law was pass
ed and the house had the right TO de-
mand that no consideration OF mere lucre
should suily the principle for which II
worked
Entrusted tn Three Men.
The liquidation OF the property OF the
congregations had been intrusted almost
wholly to three men. The first OF them
was Dues. with whose frauds NJ. Jaures
dealt with at length. THE second" he
AIDED. was Lecouturier. who has been
the object Of serious charges in the Sen
ate. and I shall show that his role has
been nearly the same as Duez's.
This statement caused a sensation in
the House. and there was an excited buzz
in the galleries. NJ Jaures then asked
the government for the figures agreed TO
between the llQuidators and the congre-
cations.
Premier BRAND interjected that fun in
formation should be given. whereupon NJ
Jaures retorted in a surprised tone that
the government was showing good will
in probing the scandal, but why. he
asked had It let the matter go on for
fifteen months? II was evident, he said.
that the government had long been aware
Of what was happening.
He next raised the question OF the
dissolution OF the Carthusian Monastery
where the famous chartreuse liquor was
made, and he accused Lecouturier Of
malpractice in this matter.
He declared that the liqueur factory
was sold to the Cusnier firm on terms
which the trade said excluded eompeti-
ton. and before the sale was made Cue
nier was able 20 make cheap chartreuse
with an inferior spirit. The chartreuse
trademark, which was valued in 1886
at 100000 francs, and for which 100000
francs had been actually offered was
sold for $4,000 francs.
NJ. Berry followed NJ Jaures in
speech which criticised. not so much the
method as the people OF the affair. He
said caustcally that the government and
Parliament had despoiled the congrega-
tons, and Il was natural that the Iioui-
dators should seize and share the spoil.
The main point In n. Brands repIv
was definite promise 70 throw light on
the whole matter and to punish any one
found guilty He challenged anybody to
prove that Lecouturier had benefited per-
sonaly in the chartreuse affair. The
whole liquidation, he said, had been at
tended with enormous difficulties. many
OF which would have been avoided if NJ
Brands proposal 10 intrust the Hqulda-
ton to the administrative instead of the
judicial authorities had been adopted
The government. he declared had done
It's whole duty.
The chamber then adjourned.