Evening star., 1914-04-05
Killing of
Calmette.


Killing of minister Of finance, Nine.
Calmette. Sa'i,sus, q a.s,on sue. C,,mette met ' di-
rector of the Figaro.
With the ayowed object of overthrow
ing the ministry of which NJ. caitlauS
was the dominating genius. NJ Cahhette
had devoted an avalanche OF dtlachs
tending to prove the venahty OF the min
ister When the attacks became so faTlous
and apparently SO irresistible that NJ.
Caillaux no longer gould deny them 1ne
wife stung to madness appeared upon
the scene with revolver and emptied
six chambers into the body of the editor
The dominating note of the unfortunate
affair is political, and is cause that Dep
uty Delahaye launched from the tribune
of the chamber the fierce denunciation of
the act. Ministers today send their
wives to suppress those who cross their
paths.
| The royalist factions endeavored to
| utilize the incident to overthrow the re
public. but the republic was scarcely dis
| turbed by the feeble and manifestiN
inane efforts to change the government
The royalist press was filled with
prophecies of evil. and NJ There was
quoted as having predicted that the re-
public would finish In blood or mud.
| The court of assise. before which Nine.
| Caillaux will be held to answer the charge
| of murder with premeditation, it is said.
reserves sensations whose results may
not be anticipated.
NJ Cail1auX resigned his portfolio of
| finance Immediately following the trag-
edy, and NJ. Monis, the other member
| of the cabinet implicated in the
| Rochette affair. also resigned The
| chamber appointed a committee of in
quirt the goth ultimo to examine into
| the 'Rochette scandals. A dispatch,
dated Paris. April l. reports IS follows:
The course of NJ. CaillauX and the in
| terventon of NJ. Mons constitute a most
deplorable abuse of influence Their act.
| however was not one of corruption. since
| they were personally diSinterested."
| The report adds that there were several
dissenting votes in the committee. and
| this fact will doubtless serve as a basis
| of contest over what on its face is Il
| Scotch verdict" or mot proved The
| revelations at the "assise'' promise to
| be anticipated because it viii be borne in
mind that the general elections are set
| down for April % To use a familiar
| French maxim. II aura du bruit
thing doing at Landerneau.
| Meanwhile the Doumergue cabinet.
modified by tn. elimination of two dis
turbing elements. resumes its control of
! affairs. NJ Doumergue, president of the
| council of ministers. has made declara-
| ton which is most important in view of
| the disastrous effect of the pan n-Germanic
press in its savage attacks upon Russia,
and incidentally upon France.
| The expose of the political situation in
France is a sort of resume which the
| Temps terms an Optimistic cruise
around the world 1t is clothed in dip
| lomatic language and is not entirely COM
prehenshle to the general reader be-
it is nevertheless a timely tableau Of
the situation in France and in Europe
| In the actual situation the exterior
policy of European nation is measured
| only by its military policy-that is. its
| military capacity.
| The president of the council affirmed
in the commencement the close relations
| of France, Russia and England. That
situation had been the key to the troubled
period caused by the wars in the Bal
kans. peoples with whom France had al
ways maintained the best relations
France and Russia had directed their
joint efforts to circumscribe the foyer of
| confiagration and assure peace.
| France Joined the concert of the great
| powers at London. VI. Paul Cambon
| represented France with dignity and
authority in the conference of ambassa-
| dors under the presidency of Sir Edward
tGrey- The task was delicate and diff
| cult
| Under the treaty of London Turkey,
yielding To the fortunes of war, abandon
led to victorious beITigerents territories in
| destined to cover Constantinople and the
| straits. She yielded to the decision of
| the great powers the fate of Albania
and the Aegean Islands Profting by the
discord between her victors, Turkey re-
occupied Thrace as far as Adrianople and
Martha. After her nisfortunes it
seemed to Europe that this situation.
should not be disputed, because Turkey
reoecupied territories which were mainly
inhabited by Mussulman population.
!
| The conference al London attribr.ed
10 Greece the islands occupied by Greece
| After the signature of the
| Greece ana treaty of peace at Athens
| A.. p between Greece and Tur-
wy key the powers main
! tained their decision exception being
made for lmbros and Tenedos at the
entrance of the Dardanelles and also the
Island of kaste1loriZo, off the coast of
| Asia Minor. Greece yielded to that de-
cision. Turkey making reserves
| Turkey had expressed her sincere de-
| sire for peace. The economical aid of
| France was obtained at that price for it
could not be admitted that France would
enable her to employ such resources to
trouble the peace of which the Ottoman n
has more need than any other
France mas financial and economical in
| terests i'll the east. and especially in the
ottoman empire. In the commencement
| the belligerents were warned that Frarce
would cause her interests to be respected
and since June, 1913. international
commission was assembled i'm Paris IN
find a solution for the financial problems
| resulting from the war The commission
had suspended its labors Professionally
but il would resume them shortly
At the same time that France was de-
Tending French interests in the territories
acquired by the Balkanic allies the gov
eminent WAS endeavoring to arrange with
| Turkey questions in litigation touching
schools and beneticent works, etc. and
railways in Asia Minor. Syria and on the
Black sea. France has constantly CO.
operated with Russia and England in
order to induce the porte to establish re-
finally succeeded, and European inspector
generals are to be designated to watch
over the strict application of these re-
forms. The government of the republic
was happy to acknowledge the services
rendered by Russia to that end
The commission Of delimitation of south
Albania had concluded its work and had
left koritza, Stylos and the Island of
Sasseno to Albania. Greece had consent
ed to evacuate the disputed territory and
had loyalty kept her promise. In certain
districts, notably at Argyrocastro, the
Hellenic population resisted incorpora ton
INTO the Albanian state without being
given special guarantees for their pro- i
lection France would lend her powers to |
the pacification of the Epirus. thus giving
support to the Hellenic population. This
sympathetic action has been seconded by