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TRAITOR ON HIS DEFENCE

CILLAUX'S SPEECH IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES . After a remarkable speech in which, to uso the striking pit rasa of the Academician M. Alfred Capus, he gave the impression of a man seized by the throat and struggling desperately to release himself, the French Chamber has voted the suspension of the parliamentary immunity of M Caillaux (writes the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Mail" recently). This enables the. military authorities to open proceedings against him on the lines indicated in General Dubail's report concerning his 'relations with 8010 and the '■Bonnet Bouge" band and his alleged "defeatist" propaganda in Rome. The House met at 9 a.m. for this historic sitting. Crowds waited outside the Palais Bourbon to watch the arrival of members, and both the body of the House and the public galleries were crowded. They were rewarded with the most striking oratorical effort of the ex-Premier's political career. When after ,a brief introductory speech by the secretary of the Commission which had reported on the case the moment came for M. Caillaux to speak, he almost ran up the steps leading to the tribune. Tall and lithe, he gives an impression, of exuberant energy and nervous force, but a force only par'ly under control. Fresh of colour, • A a neatly trimmed moustache and hald, wellshaped bead, his whole atti !'.de is instinct with a sort of impatient haughtiness which is the characteristic of the marl who for twenty years has been one of France's foremost statesman. Every gesture and accent hespeaks his surprise and suppressed aneor *at having thus to defend himself. Even when he drops his voice to a modulated whisper, as when he referred to certain domestic passages of his life, strangled inrlicmtion speaks in every accent. . M. Caillaux possesses every art of the 'French orator, but he is ill-senved by his voice, _ which is rasping and unsymnathetic. His speech, which lasted two hours, would have loft an English audience cold. He had relieved the tension by announcing that he himself did not oppose the suspension of his parliamentary immunitv. M. Clemenceau, on the front Minister s "' bench, sat through it all with folded arms, unmoved and inscrutable. On Cood Terms With Bale. M. Caillaux declared in substance that the ivholo thing was a conspiracy against him, for which the French Ambassador in Rome was responsible. He began by saying that it was with great relief-that at last he had an] opportunity of expressing his iiidigntion at the accusations against him. He was accused of engaging in underhand intri-l gues with tho object of changing the. policy of France and separating her from the Allies. To this he gave the sbongest possible denial. He ha.d never attempted to approach the enemy, and though there had been efforts to get intd touch with him he lmd spurned them as soon as he roaliaed what was going on. It was quite true, he said, that Lie was on good terms with 8010, of whose honour he received the most .emphatic assurances from a Judgo occupying ahigh position. In regard to tihe "Bonnet Rouge" M. Caillaux 'said that lie certainly supplied this paper ivitii money before the war, but this was to defend himself against his enemies, and tho prosecution did not pro'kice the slightest proof of knowledge on his part that the "Bonnet Rouge" money came from abroad.

Dealing with what ho is alleged to have said during his visit to .Home, M. Caillaux declared that thn only politician he saw was Signor Martini. It i«;s suggested that he should meet Signor Salandra, but he declined. It was a fact that he lunched at the house of the Marchioness Hicci (Cavallihi'a friond), but the conversation was of an patriotic character. jM. Caillaux complained of outrag. ecus proceedings towards hira on the part of the French Ambassador at Home, and maintained that the reports from military and naval attaches should bo taken with caution., Going on to discuss his own career, M. Caillaux said it was not true that ho over followed a policy of alliance with Germany. His policy was to exclude any foi inal or general agreement with Germany until the Alsace-Lornine. question had Been settled in conformity with French ideas, though he did not delioerately bar conferences or understandings on well-defined or limited subjects. Since 1914' lie had consistently refrained from harassing successive Governments by criticism. ; "The Rome Romance." It was not forbidden., however, 31. Caillaux argued, >to study the peace problem or to say it was not enough tor the Government to carry on the war, but that it must also pave the way for peace. It was most unjust to apply the term "defeatist" to anyone wno held these views. No Frenchman wanted defeat and no one ever thought of breaking a French alliance, especially with such,a nation, as England, to whom the admiration of all democrats brought up in respect lor English culture and traditions ii/cut'out tspiMiuiieously. summing up his. tirgument, M. Caillaux observed:

"Tho Koine romance has no exist- ; ence, and its scaiiioiding is collapsing on all 'Why is this charge brought against ine after lying dormant for ten' months 't It is because my opinions are not orthodox." in an impassioned peroration he said that, far irom bearing any grudge against his colleagues- of the Chamber, he would thank them for suspending xhis parliamentary immunity so that he could como before a court of law and dispose once and for all ot the calumnies invented against Inni. Then, with, an energetic gesture,-M. Caillaux snatched up his papers, throw a last defiant glance towards the Government benches, and hastened back to his seat, warmly cheered by his friends. The afternoon sitting was _ chiefly taken up by speeches ot Socialists like MAI. llracko and Henaudel in an attempt to argue that no case had been made out against M. Caillaux, but the Chamber eventually voted the suspension of his parliamentary privilege by 396 votes to 2, the Socialists as a body abstaining."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19180305.2.43

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 142, 5 March 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,002

TRAITOR ON HIS DEFENCE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 142, 5 March 1918, Page 6

TRAITOR ON HIS DEFENCE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 142, 5 March 1918, Page 6

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