El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-02-07
Trial of Bolo Pasha
Effort to End Hun
Intrigue in France

"" - EA
In bringing to trial Paul Bolo. or Bolo
Pash, the French government Is endeavor-
ing to disrupt the whole system Of German
intrigue and propaganda in France which Ia
the spring of 1917 became so bold and Of
fectiye as to threaten to defeat Frances ef-
forts to carry on the war.
Bolo's case has been defined az but one
of a series of inter-related incidents in the
German effort to organize a propaganda OF
depression IN discouragement among the
civilian leaders and soldiers Of France.
These involved not only Bolo, the social
ed "Levantine financier" but also Joseph
Caillaux, a former premier Of France, one
of more members of the French Chamber OF
Deputies, and several French newspapers.
These newspapers are alledged to have
been subsidized by German money to
spread abroad in France a spirit of defeat
ism, a belief that there was not hope OF
beating Germany and that France should
make haste to accept the best terms posi-
BILE.
AS Bolo's connection with the scheme
vas the first startling development in I'M
covering the plot, his name has since been
applied to the whole system Of German pro-
poganda in France and the new word
"Boloism' was coined.
In the attempt to bride French statesmen
and leaders, and to influence French opin-
ion by subsidizing her newspapers or found
ing new publications to discsenmate the spir.
1t Of p~acifism or defeat, it has been charged
that Germany devoted a sum Of money
ranging up or exceeding 10000, 900 marks.
Bolo, himself, is said to have had the use
Of a fund of $1,6S3, 900, chiefly If not wholly,
to corrupt the French press. In what way
the remainder of the corruption fund was
expended had not been made clear up to
the beginning of 1918.
Partial uncovering of the plot has result
ed not only in the arrest of Caillaux and
Bolo but in driving out of office of Louis J.
Interior, in the arrest of several editors OF
the newspaper BONNET ROUGE and its
suppression on the ground that it had been
subsidized to preach pacification in the in
terest of Germany. One of the Bonnet
Rouge's editors who threatened to make
sensational disclosures was found srtangled
In his cell before he had a chance to reveal
what he may hove 10Y of the plot. A
few other newspapers alleged to have been
founded in France to spread the German
peace propaganda also we're Suppressed.
Bolo's activities possess peculAr inter-
est to Americans because of the fact that,
of the funds at his disposal, III Isl charged
that $1,683,0 900 was transferred from the
Deutsohe Bank in Berlin to France by way
Of New York. 1t was as a result Of dis
covery Of his manipulation of this fund
through five New York banks or banking
houses that Attorney General Merton E..
Lewis Of New York state was able to OBJ
tain information which was forwarded to
the French Ambassador in Washington, M.
Jusserand, upon which BOlo was arrested.
According to Mr.. Lewis, Count Won Bern
storff, then German Ambassador to the
United States, directed the transfer of the
$l,683,0O0 to Bolo in New York, through
the financial agent of the Deutche Bank in
New York. 1t was stated that the money
was placed at Bernstorff's disposal by wire.
less messages in a secret code in which fic-
titious names were used to represent the
parties participating in the transaction.
Bolo's first appearance as a factor in in
ternational affairs was as financial adviser
to Abbas Hilmi, who, in 1914, the beginning
of the war, was Khedive of Egypt. 1t was
from the Khedive that Bolo received his title
of Pasha. Bly, 1915. however, the Khediye
had been ousted and Bolo, 1t is said, was a
prisoner of his brother, a French priest,
in 1914.
In the following year, it is asserted, the
Khedive and Bolo met in Switzerland and,
with the approval of Gottlieb Won Jagow,
then German Foreign Minister, it was ar.
ranged that 10,000,000 marks should be plac.
ed to Bolo's account to influence the French
press in favor of a premature peace.
The money, it is charged was transferred
to Bolo through New York and a large part
of it used to purchase an interest in LIE
Journal, an important newspaper controlled
by Senator Charles Humbert. On discoy-
cry of the origin of the fund Senator Hum
bert tried to refund it but this was oppose.
ed by Bolo.
In September last Bolo was arrested after
a judicial investigation of his allegdd rela-
tons with the enemy. His arrest profound
ly stirred the French capital, inspiring in
some French patriots the feeling that at
the scandal that weighed SO heavily
upon France was about to be cleared.
Bolo loudly asserted his innocence and
even wrote a letter to Premier Painleve ask
ing his to finish the affair."" declaring that
had been tortured for eight months and
that nothing had been found against him.