The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-26
ABSORBED IN EVENTS OF
 CAILLAUX CASE

Paris, Jan.26-The CaiI1aux case v1es with the expected German drive as topic of interest in Paris. It is a tribute to the personality of Joseph Caillaux that the coming trial of former Minister of the Interior Malvy on such a charge as criminal interfer- ence with Frances greatest offensive causes comparatively little comment. It is so fully realized thatgMalvy was simply Caillaux's man that the only importance attached to his case is it's barring on Maillaux's position.
 Even Caillaux's enemies agree that this is no ordinary case of 'intelli- gence avec Pennemi" They know that at bottom the charge against the ex- Premier is of having as leader of the minority attempted to impose his pol icy upon the Government of the ma jority. Take the hypothesis that Roosevelt or Bryan had aimed at con trol Of the United States with the avowed object of stopping the war and living in friendship with Germany that gives a realization of Caillaux's status.
 Even in peace time a coup d'etat- for that is what his project amounted to-is a dangerous proceeding. War intensifies it's gravity a hundredfold and removes it from the category of a political manouvre to that of an act which menaces the safety of the State. The question of the extent to which the project succeeds or whether it in wolves bloodshed no longer decides the degree of culpability. The same ap- plies to motives The fact of war put a plea of good intentions out of court. In Caillaux's case his character makes it certain that personal ambi- ton was the strongest incentive. An authentic "mot" Of Premier Clemen- ceau at the time when he resigned from his former Premiership affords striking illustration. Asked why he resigned, the tiger replied sardoni- cally: ''How could you expect me to stay any longer in g. council where I sat between Briand, who believes he is the Messiah and Caillaux, who thinks he is Napoleon?"
 Like Napoleon, Caillaux acted for himself first and France second, and | it is that which has contributed not a little to the hostility against him in the past. Like Napoleon, he has not been particular as to the methods he employed. It is that which has put him where he is today. Whether the evidence against him be strong enough l to produce his conviction or not, it remains a moral certainty that his aim was to be Frances dictator and | l, h ic ct inf 0 tect those who would forward that aim, no matter what their character or what means they employed.
 | Knowledge of that certainty lends weight to evidence that might appear | inadequate. As Caillauxs friends loudly assert, the Bernstorff and Lux burg telegrams were written by Frances enemies. Therefore they claim that it is outrageous that a French ex-Premier should be con- demned by French court of law on the word of Boche. It is a spacious argument, and will be used to the ut most in building up a case for the de- fendant, but in wartime legal bubbles and sophistries lose their effect.
 Another point raised by the sup porters of the ex-Premier-for they exist in plenty, though chiefly in his old political gang or among the ranks of Clemenceau's opponents, like the Socialists, whose organ, Humanite, is loud in Caillauxs cause-is that the contents of the Florence safe prove nothing injurious to the ex-Premier :. They declare that the alleged millions only total s90,0O0 in stocks, of which nearly half are unnegotiable Hun garian or Turkish bonds inherited by Mime. Caillaux from her father. Of the remainder, only s40,00O worth are salable for money-in fact, that there was absolutely nothing in the safe which warranted Cail1aux's arrest.