Evening star., 1937-09-19
Chautemps- Man of the Ho7


CdOlIfct W IcItlAlO eUfcl IlIucIt-eupeI~
vised insurance companies in . round
robin that the bonds Of municipal
pawnshops were legal and desirable
investments. The cabinet member
could not know that his harmless
circular would be used for pushing
the sale of Rayonne Municipal Pawn
shop bonds, and even less could he
know that these bonds were forged.
The master villain behind the scheme
was Stavisky, who cheated French
investors out OF 50O,0O0,00 francs.
Ire political opponents of PRIMER
Chautemps became hysterical, and
scandal sheets linked his name with
that of the swindler. The prime min
lister took personal charge of the in
vestigation, and the country was
secured for Stavisky, who had van
ished.
On January 8, 1884. Stavisky was
located by the police, not far from a
villa where Premier Chautemps was
staying, near Chamonix. They went
to the swindler's hiding place and be-
gan to force open the door. Then
there was shot--and Stavisky was
dead, bullet hole in his right tenn
pie and revolver in his left hand, ac-
cording to the police.
The authorities booked the case as
suicide, but the opposition set up a
cry: why was revolver in Stav-
isky's left hand and the bullet hole
in the right temple?" They also asked
another question: why was Chau-
temps near Chamonix at that time?"
And they jumped to conclusion:
"Stavisky knew too much about the
political jungle, and the premier
wanted to be sure he was put out Of
the way"
It was In vain for Chautemps 10
point out that he usually spent his
Winter holidays in the Alps.
Blood ef France Flows.
Less than a fortnight later blood
was flowing in the Paris streets, and
Chautemps had resigned.
Blood was also detected along the
tracks Of the Dijon-Lyons express,
where few days later police found
the dead body OF M. Albert Prince,
associate justice Of the Paris Court Of
Appeals. Again Chautemps' name was
dragged into the case. The ankle Of
the judge had been fastened to the
rail with a rope, nearby was a knife,
and an autopsy showed poison in his
body. Investigation proved that he
hod hoor, 1i,rod fror, Dor;r ~, 49, v,~n
text that his mother was gravely Ill.
1t was he who had handled the Stav-
isky case, and he had taken the files
with him His money was untouched,
but the documents were missing.
Suicide" said the police. "Murder!"
cried the opposition.
A parliamentary investigating COM
mittee sat for several months sitting
the evidence in the case. It found
Chautemps innocent of completely and
Of negligence as well. Even the most
incorrigible scandal-mongers were
cowed to silence.
1t is nothing uncommon, in French
politics, for q man to be chased from
Office today and hailed tomorrow
Chautemps reappeared in the Sarraut
government Of 1896. He was asked to
accept the post of a minister of state
in the government Of Leon Blum. Late
last June Blum asked extensive fiscal
powers from the Senate and refusal
Of the request forced his resignation.
Chautemps became premier A few
days later he presented the same de-
mand and he had friendly hearing.
Single Change Made.
Essentially, the Chautemps govern
ment was identical with Blum's, ex-
cept for one change. Finance Minister
Vincent Auriol. Socialist, was given
another department, and Georges Bon
net was summoned from Washington.
where he was serving as Ambassador
of France, to take his place.
In the Chautemps cabinet Bonnet
Is key man, and withal a problem
minister. Among the country's finan-
cial leaders, popularity known as "the
200 families" he is known as gifted
economist, which is no recommends
ton to the Left Wing. How long will
some extremist followers OF ChAutemps
put up with his conservative policy? Yet
capital has more confidence in Chau-
temps than 1t had in Blum, which is
important, for this confidence has done
much to halt the flight Of wealth from
social legislation.
Shifting sand and French politics
are synonymous terms, and no pre-
mier can expect to stay in power for
long. No matter what happens, the
selection OF Chautemps as premier
seems to have been a particularly for
tunate one. Given a chance to dis
play his qualities as conciliator, he
excels. He has already succeeded in
settling several political and economic
controversies. His recent step toward
the naturalization of French railroads
was a masterpiece of strategy. pleas
ing both the capitalists and the Left
Wingers.
Money is no longer so anxious to
leave the country and the strike epi-
demic seems to have abated. The
French Army is in better shape than
ever before and in this era of ire
sponsible dictators its fitness is a
factor of peace. Chautemps Is democ-
racy's champion, representing the ira
ditions of Waldeck- Rousseau, Her.
riot and BRAND.