OLD MARSHAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 12

OLD MARSHAL

BEMUSED BY EVENTS DISTRUST OF LAVAL. IS BRITAIK HIS HOPE? " ■ ■■ >: i ■ '». ■ ■ ■ "•■"*.*. -.■■■■ ' . "■>-' .vr. ■* ■ t.> t- >:>','' ..- ■' - * ''=>.■/>.;. -■ **• ..-. • ••■: • =-.■;. '■ '•',". ■ ' .'■' ;• > • ; .• •■'■' ,-"».•.Hβ- " ■ ».-■»■■■■*• >". "I."*- v>,. 1 V,.. ~.- „■. ■; ;,.:.• -!•.*-■• .' V';\ ■ j. .:.-,. .. < .- •..•* ■;.•„* j,-;.*,. -v .• J *«■««■ »*.;!*> s»r. '.:.> ',i KA# Sn»*rt '-■? '.fli* F.'*e*fli ~ia". ! - */• % ">■".:.•'>!.•*.■ y '.'.»' Tit, ;"»*B' ;»;"i.:."ri :ft V;*ftia ",/»<•■'*'» !&i»T<f'W*, sr«* * 'I'j-ffl'■;.■■/'l'nr.iii**' Tint V*,-h~ f'rtinwMmewit '•)*, j.v.wji twn ".•'/ !ka»« :.>=: P*irii.*ean ptQtnht*.'wm »•'< Ewr.-var ■ a»4 *<5 "*Sr» .'i7W:"Vi ',' "hu* '-'j;-L r »■;»!•..* '/? '■■ipwilljy Tj'yr Jr. artaiy iv-. tiuill p.S , * ■•ac'Bi , " af?"j•"!«*«"! ~ ke*rp ".••s-m (rf'/i i«l Petiiin Cains In Prwt;g«. A3! «jß»»*Tr>'*rii '»f Frenwi-lii aJCa»r* 'yn rtr?j » a^T* , * aiWujt it Six's fuwsiid; ! j'»iiitii* inn ji>r**tii«# wrfcit'O** j 51 Piienr* Lm f . *I wtwe 1 »»«Bji«ypwl«ir ft*%-***"n thu be»4 '»f ?»* ' and nib* '»f «I»*' f.owim! «»e MewM'ltO'r't * tkaiirp 4«*trn)K^a'VM

that rmptrt. there i* significance in the fact that, to this day, Marshal Petain has been careful not to »bow himself no the crowd in the company of hi* principal iiinisttr. Eight ly or wrongly, a belief i* entertained in France that, wherea* Laval, if hi* hand* were not *sed, won Id. go to extreme length in hi* voY:<:y of co-operation with Germany and *«.ak« everything on the chances of a - : fit ftry of Or man mrmx, the old Marshal w swayed by a very different outlook and knows, whenever necessary, how to call a halt in the negotiation, in j»rosrre*s with Berlin. The moot trustworthy report* received from France do not nay merely that Marshal Petain » mere favourably* regarded than formerly throughout the country: they lay stress upon the propagation of the hopes set fipon British victory. Both tread* are necessarily connected. t It ha* become definitely known that, la«t Mttttimer, the two leaders of the Vichy Government were 'very- far from fieeing all things from the same angle. The Marshal wh often beard to express j himself very freely about the past record of his principal assistant. However, when the Cabinet was reconstructed at the beginning of .September, and all the Ministers who were of Parliamentary origin were di«mi«»ed from it, an exception to the Tii'e wa» made in favour of Laval, who simultaneously was reconfirmed in his position of eucoessordeeignate to the head of the State until a- new constitution has been approved by the French people/ Uncongenial Colleagues. But the remark trae made that in reaffirming the special status of the Vicepresident of the Council, which already had been defined in the law of July 10, Marshal Petain asserted his right to cancel it at his oven pleasure. Therefore Laval's immovability must not be taken a* granted. Logically, Laval ought not to he aemrioted with a regime which endeavours to root itself in the motto of "National ■Regeneration," and i* hard put to It to enlist the services of new men. Laval in many respects embodies the worst features of the old regime. For instance, corrupt Prese practices. Tt is difficult to understand how .Marshal Petain can tolerate the presence in responsible posts of *uch men as Fernand de Brinon Scapini, Menetrier, a well known cagoulard now promoted to an important function in the police, and above all of Montigny, to-day head of the Press Department, who during the war pushed very far hi* proHitlerian intrigue*. Another point deserves to be noted. Charles Roux, former Airrba«#ador of France tr* the Holy Sec and SeeretaryGeneral of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, resigned last October because he could not comply with Laval's pro-Ger-man instruction*, and Laval etirl indefinitely postpones the appointment of the latter , * successor since he thinks that in the Ministry of Foreign Affaire the activities of an official of high standing are bound to mean that liie own will may be restricted or checked. The Germane Are Theie. It \% rather surprising that Marshal Petain, who was well-disposed toward Charles Roux, should tolerate euch a ftate of affaire. He has ordered Laval U> submit to him flay by ell <nc

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