Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-06-24
Post ar
ScandalIn
FranceRife
Food Supply Official
Charged With Evad-
ing Army Service
and Profiteering

Paris, June 24.--''The war did
not kill war;" said Minister OF War
Barthou recently. He might have
added that war also did not kill
war a4andals, for today another
has broken out which is likely to
have far-reaching consequences.
War and politics and even food
supplies find their way into the
latest scandal which is moving the
whole of France. 1t concerns Dep
uty Ernest Vilgrain, under secre-
tary Of state for food supplies in
the Clemeneeau cabinet.
The first accusation brought
against M. Vilgrain by Deputy
Barthe was that he organized or
tried to organize a corner in wheat
and also that he used politics to
avoid military service in the war.
The whole affair has been aggra-
waited by accusations made against
M. Vilgrain that he voluntarily
wounded himself or had himself
wounded while far from the firing
lines in order that he might be dis
charged Some have gone as far
as to say that Vilgrain deserted
from the army and that he pre-
vented Impeachment by pulling
political strings.
Explaining his wounds at the
front Deputy Vilgrain says that
while on mission for General
Fayole, to whose staff he was at
tached, he was attacked by man
wearing the French uniform. vii
grain closed in with the man and
caught him my the neck with his
right hand, while with his left he
tried to seize the revolver the 9th
er man was firing, He failed, how
ever and bullet pierced his hand.
At that moment a dispatch rider
came on the scene and rushed viii
grain to hospital while the 9TH
er man got away and was never
found. In written statement the
doctor who attended Vilgrain says
his wound was very slight. vii
grain, 1t is stated, then began Ia
pull the political strings and sue
ceeded in escaping infantry serv-
ice by complaining of attacks OF
appendicitis. Doctors reports stat
ed that Vilgrain could be of nc
usew in the army till he had been
operated upon. His accusers say
he never made any effort to under.
go the operation which would have
enabled him to fulfill his military
obligations.
Court Martial Investigating
Instead OF this, by the aid of
political friends he found en-
ployment in the food supply serv-
ice and soon claimed ne was In
! dispensable in that branch. His
friends are supposed to have en-
couraged him in so far that they
wrote to the military authorities
repeatedly claiming exemption
for yilgrain.
Before the war NJ. Yilgrain
held shares in one or two wheat
mills. Today 1t is claimed that he
owns most of the mills in the
country and is possessor of an inn
mense fortune. The formal charg-
es Deputy Barthe makes against
M. Yilgrain are three fold. First
comes the accusation of attempt
ing to constitute, to his profit
aid to the prejudice Of national
interests, if not the impossible
corner in wheat, at least a con-
I troll on French mills, which
would have made him master OF
the price of bread" secondly OF
having taken advantage Of his
position in the ministry 10 organ
ize this corner Of control and OF
having abused his official funct-
ions to carry out his personal af-
fairs to the detriment Of the
state" thirdly that "he Yves on
lly able to occupy his ministerial
post by fraudulent among
others a voluntary mutilation-
which enabled him to avoid all
military service during the war"
A Judicial inquiry has been
opened concerning the first two
charges. while court martial is
making investigation concerning
NJ ys!grain's wounds during the
nav