The French Senate, sitting as a High Court of Justice,
brought its long trial of M. Caillaux to an end on Friday week. It found the ex-Premier guilty of "correspondence with agents of the enemy, so that information was furnished to the enemy, con- trary to the military and political interests of France and her Allies." M. Caillaux VMS sentenced to three years' imprison- ment, but he was released at once as he had been in prison since January, 1918. His real punishment is to be deprived of civic rights for ten years, so that his political career is ended, while for five years he may be excluded from certain districts, especially Paris, at the will of the Government. It is not for us to express an opinion on the case, which was as inextricably mingled with politics as, say, the impeachments of Warren Hastings and Lord Melville. Rightly or wrongly, we have always regarded M. Caillaux as hostile to a good understanding between Great Britain and France, and we cannot pretend to regret his fall. But we must pay our tribute to the Senate for its dignified conduct of the trial. M. Caillaux had the fullest opportunity of defending his conduct. Justice is slow but sure in France.
