FRENCH SCANDALS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16268, 19 July 1918, Page 8

FRENCH SCANDALS.

THE "BONNET ROUGE" CASES. (By Cable.—Prew Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) ' PARIS, July 17. ' Duval has been executed. THE MALVY TRIAL. (Received July 18th, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, July 17. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Justice, has opened the Malvy trial. M. Duval, the director of the French pacifist journal, "Bonnet Rouge," was found guilty on a charge of communicating with the enemy. Between May, 1916, and his arrest, Duval paid fifteen visits to Switzerland, being shadowed each time by the order of the military authorities. The ostensible reason for his visits was the liquidation of the San Stefano Casino Company, in which he was interested. It is alleged, that he spent much time at Berne in the company of Herr Marx, a banker, of Mannheim. After the fifteenth visit he was searched at Bellegarde, when a cheque for £6000 was found in his pocket. Later, owing to the blundering of the officials, the cheque was returned to Duval and was cashed. Bychance M. Ribot (then Premier of France) heard of this extraordinary incident, and caused enquiriffs to be set on foot, -which led to the arrest of Duval.

The indictment charges Malvy with having informed the enemy, of all French military and diplomatic plans, especially those in connexion with the Chemin des Dames ofFensiva.