Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-02-17
CAILLAUX GOES
TO TRIAL, FACING
TRAITORS DEATH
Ex-Premier of France
Accused of Aiding
Germans In War

PARIS, Feb. 17-Former Premier
Joseph Caillaux today faced trial be-
fore the senate, acting as a high court
on the specific charge of "having plot
ter against the external Sc
curity of the state by manouvers, ma
chinations and intelligence with the
enemy, tending to favor the latters
( enterprises against France and her
Allies" Conviction on the charge is
punishable with death.
Two years ago on January IA,
1918, for the first time in the history
of the Third Republic of France, one
of its former premiers, Joseph Gail
laux, was thrust into prison on the
charge of high treason and of en-
deavoring to make a premature and
dishonorable peace with Germany.
For more than 20 years he had been
! a power in French political life, both
as premier and minister of finance.
He has expressed his determination
to flight to the last ditch" although
his long detention has made inroads
upon his health. After A prelimin-
ary hearings, he protested in vain
against the laws delay. Last Sep
tember Caillaux was removed from
his Paris prison to a hospital at
Neuilly.
The case against Caillaux is some
what related to that against Bolo Pa
! sha, fho was executed at Vincennes
as a spy in April, 1918, and M. Du-
val, editor of the Germanophile news
paper Bonnet Rouge, who went to his
death for similar treachery, the fol-
lowing July.
Wife Slew Editor.
CaillauX was not in the cabinet
when the war began. He resigned
shortly after March 16, 1914, the day
! his wife shot and killed CASTOR Cal
mette, editor of Figaro, for accusing
Caillaux Of having played into Ger
many's hands in settling the Moroc-
coan crisis of 1911. Louis J. Malvy
a close friend, was minister Of the
! interior at the time Caillaux resigned.
/ Malvy, it will be remembered, was la
! ter accused of high treason and tried
/ in 1918 before the senate high court.
I liC u GctoOI Vial &c was iii plpNSus buI
Malvy, radical-socialist, was con-
victed of other otfenses and sentenced
to five years banishment from
! France. He is now an exile in Spain.
Through Malvy, it is alleged, Caillaux
| directed affairs so that the machina-
lions charged against him could be
carried on.
CaillauX was suspected of heading
pacifst movement having as it's OBJ
ject reconciliation between France
and Germany, a suspicion which be-
came all the more serious by reason
of the fact that German spies were
everywhere in France, and were be-
lieved to have penetrated into the
councils Of the government. The 'de-
featist" propaganda, intended to
break down the morale of the French
people by leading them to believe
Germany was invincible, had wide
ramifications. 1t reached from Paris
to Rome and from Rome to Washing
ton and Beunos Aires. Count Won
Bernstorff, formerly German ambas-
sador at Washington, was charged.
with having spent $2,00O,000 to
! create similar "defeatist" conditions
in Italy.
Went To South America.
Upon the acquittal of his wife, and
his retirement from politics, Caillaux
went to war, serving in the paymas-
ter's department of the French army
Within two months he was in trouble
with British officers, and subsequent
lv, with his own military superiors in
Paris, for which he was punished
Released from service, he sailed in
November, 1914, for South America,
and passed most of the winter in Ar
gentina. While in Buenos Aires, it
was said, he conferred with Count
Karl Won Luxburg, the German min
ister, who will be recalled as the au-
thor of a message to the German for
aign office requesting the u-boats to
"sink without a trace" all Argentina
ships, the vessels of a neutral power.
Caillaux returned to France and
was next heard from two years later
in Italy. He was reported to have
gone there in November, 1916, with
Nine. CaillauX, for rest. The Rome
correspondent of the London Times,
the following month, charged Gail
laux was trying to "plant separate
peace movement among Germano-
ohiles in the Vatican and in Italian
aristocracy."
Color was given to this accu7ation
by report sent tJ Premier BRAND
CONTINUED on Page 81