The Dreyfus case is once again holding the attention of
France. M. Cavaignac, in his recent speech, declared that Dreyfus had, on the day of his degradation, confessed his guilt to an officer, or, rather, that he confessed to having given documents as a bait " with the object of procuring more important ones." On Tuesday the &hie and the Atmore published a note written by Dreyfus to his counsel on the day of his degradation stating that Major du Paty had come to him asking him on behalf of the Minister whether he had not meant merely to lay a bait and had then found himself caught fatally in the trap. " I replied that I bad never had relations with any agent or attache, that I had undertaken no such process as baiting, and that I was innocent" This letter certainly puts a very different complexion on the alleged confession. It looks as if Major du Paty, convinced of the bait theory, had stated it to, and urged it on, Dreyfus and then, from some indication he chose to think conclusive, had inferred that Dreyfus prac- tically admitted the theory. There is nothing commoner than for men red-hot with a theory of guilt to say that when the suspected person had it put to him he virtually admitted it. The letter in fact makes the alleged confession of very little value.
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