FRANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1918, Page 5

FRANCE.

THE CAiLLAUX PLOT. TO OVERTHROW FRANCE'S CONSTITUTION. AND SET TP MILITARY DICTATORSHIP. Received .Tan. 18, 12.20 a.m. ' London, .Tan. 1". The Daily Chronicle's Milan correspondent state* that the most important document relating to Caillatix's safe cover scheme is that referring to the utter overthrow of the constitution of France by means of a coup d'etat. The document was drafted throughout in Caillaux's handwriting arranged neatly in articles and paragraphs, bearing his final signature. Appended is a long list of generals, senators and deputies, on whose active assistance Caillaux counted. General Sarrail was to assume a military dictatorship, whereof the first act was to be the arrest of President Poincare, M. Briand (late Premier), and all others whoTigured prominently in France since the beginning of the war; the French Chamber to be forthwith dissolved and the Senate reduced to''Caillaux's supporters, who would nominate a dictatorial commission under Caillaux and Sarrail.

A TRAITOR TO HIS COUNTRY. THE CAILLAUX SENSATION. Paris, Jan. 10. Public excitement continues, though M. Caillaux's political adherents are markedly quieter since his arrest, and many are showing a tendency to desert the ex-Premier. The safe in Florence was discovered owing to the telegraph office receiving a message for transmission to Florence reading, "I forbid the safe being opened,'' signed "Raynourd." The censor who received the message knew that the Caillauxs travelled in Italy under this name. He reported the fact to the authorities, who requested the Italian officials to open the safe, in which they found £IO,OOO in gold and some beautiful jewels, also a list of civil servants to •e dismissed if M. Caillaux returned to power, and a list of politicians to be rewarded. The papers showed that M. Caillaux intended to seize power and impose peace after rupturing the alliance between France, Italy and Great Britain.

MORE REVELATIONS. CAILLAUX AT BUENOS AIRES. Received Jan. 17, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Jan. 10. The, State Department lias published the correspondence between Count Bernstorff and the Berlin Foreign Office, dated February 4, 1015, showing that M. Caillaux was intimate with the German Ambasador at Buenos Aires, who was advising the Teuton press not to praise Caillaux, but to treat him courteously, also suggesting that M. Caillaux should leave Buenos Aires. COUNT BERNSTORFF'S INTRIGUES. Washington, Jan. 16. Count Bernatortf urged Germany to capture the steamer Araguaya leaving Buenos Ayres on January 30, 1915, carrying M. Caillaux l , also important papers. One of Bernstorff's messages quotes M. Caillaux as "declaring war now England struggling for existence." Another says, "Caillaux welcomes indirect courtesies from Berostorff but advises caution."