Evening star., 1934-02-04

oIl6 SIlO W tllC OIllCl WILL al
dignation. 1t has brought many
Frenchmen in Paris and the large
cities and practically all Frenchmen
IN remote provincial towns and vii
hges face to face with realities for
Which they were not prepared. 1t has
revealed venality, culpable negligence,
criminal completely and complais-
ance with scoundrelism in the highest
departments of the governing body.
Thus, at the opening of this year
1884, the average French citizen had
4 sudden vision of the rust and rot
tenness Of almost every wheel of
state. He looked on aghast, and
then his anger knew no bounds. His
honor had been sullied The good
name of his country had been be-
snirched and must be indicated be-
fore the world.
Not that the Stavisky case is likely
10 bring about revolution or any sud-
den attack on the republican regime
No Fascist dictatorship or personal
directoire need be expected as a direct
consequence of this latest ''affaire."
But a change there will be-the ma
ton will continue to insist on a
change until there is one it has
been too profoundly moved to let
things remain as they were. The
change demanded is in the private
conduct of public men-men in the
government, in politics. in Journal
ism and in high official positions.
Stavisky revealed himself not as a
kuper-scoundrel but as man who
took advantage of the weaknesses
which had become general among
Frenchmen in high positions. He ex-
plotted the environment in which he
lived 1t is not against the man who
ended his extraordinary career in a
chalet at Chamonix that the French
mans anger is directod-it is against
the wheels of state that helped carry
him to the position from which he
crashed The wheels, rusted as they
are. must be cleaned or replaced.
They almost surely will be- 1t is
only in case they are not that one
can predict with some certainty that
SOmething might happen in France
Indignatio Justified.
This Indignation is more than JUS
&f1ed. France, like other countries.
has had its financial scandals and
bubbles times without number There
have been other rogues and scoundrels
who have raided the hard savings of
Frances thrifty population; but never
until Stavisky came on the scene had
the state and its officials figured as
acCompliceS in a series of gigantic
frauds at public expense running into
something like 100000, 900. The
French public may have nearly for
gotten the miSdeeds of other noto-
ricus figures who in recent years have
made millions by defrauding the pub
nc. but it will not forget Alexandra
Serge Stavisky. Not because of the
hundreds Of millions of francs that
were fraudently acquired and dissi-
pated in a life of almost legendary
Axury, but because several of these
millions made their way into the
pockets of those who are supposed
10 protect the public from the depre-
dations of such rogues.
Who was this man. and what did
he do? He was brought to France by
bis father, Emmanuel Stavisky
Russian Jew. from a small town near
Kieff in 1900 Alexandra Serge then
was only IA and his father intended
him for the dentists profession, which
he himself practiced The boy showed
other incGnations, of which get rich
quick by any means was the most
pronounced. In 1912 he began his
zeal career with IS days imprison-
pnent for embezZlement After
short period of service at the begin
ming of the war he settled down in
The pleasure haunts of the Rue Cau-
martin. near the Opera. where he
seems to have won the affections OF
q number of women. as well as their
purses. In 1915 another term of six
months. again for fraud. For 10
years after this there. is no record
of his activities. but in 1925 a series
worthless checks for substantial
amounts brought him once more in
close contact with justice.
Father Ended Life.
In the Summer of that year Sta
visky's name filled the front pages of
the Paris press. He had embeZzled
more than 100000 francs. His
father, who had earned an honorable
reputation as naturaliZed French
man. felt so diShonored that he put
bullet through his head in his villa
ct MOntigny-sur-LOlng, on the edge
Of Fontainbleau Forest. In the mean
time Alexandra had disappeared. For
nearly two months the police hunted
for him in vain. AT last. toward the
end of July, 1926, he was discovered
in a villa at Marty le-Roi. as he was
giving a farewell dinner to host of
friends before fleeing abroad. The
papers at the time were full of his
dramatic arrest. His friends, includ-
ing several women-one of whom he
later married-tried to protect him.
Nevertheless, he was held-but of the
100000 only $4,000 francs we're
found in his pockets.
Here begins the story which has
filed a nation with panied astonish-
ment and contempt for the country's
authorities. Only five months after
his arrest. while still awaiting trial,
Stavisky was let out of prison on bail
of $4,000 francs. He complained of
bad health. The prison doctor Issued
a certificate that his illness could not
be properly treated in prison. The
court medical expert contested this
certificate. Other eminent special
lists came to the rescue with a cata-
bgue of mental ailments from which
the prisoner was supposed to be suf-
fering. The upshot of the matter was
that Stavisky was let out. and from
that day until a week before his death
he was never molested.
From time to time echoes of the
ease reached the public. The trial
was postponed on 19 occasions, and
at the time of his death it still figured
on the Paris police records as being
due on January 81. His lawyers found
excuses for each postponemens and
magistrates found the excuses accept
able.
Branches Out.
When ordinary legal methods were
not invoked to delay trial. medical
certificates from well-known mental
specialists were forthcoming to testify
that Stavisky was not in a condition
n heal. the nervous strain For seven