LAVAL’S POSITION

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 171, 16 April 1942, Page 5

LAVAL’S POSITION

Petain May Be Virtually Superseded

PLEDGE ABOUT FRENCH FLEET REPEATED

LONDON, April 15

The full implications of Pierre Laval’s return to power in the Vichy Cabinet are not yet clear, but reports that he may take the position of head of the Government with special, powers suggest that Marshal Petain becomes a sort of President, with Laval as his Premier. The German radio has made its first ominous comment, saying: "The return of Laval to the Government means that it is now realized by Petain that the State requires a strong hand.’ " Laval, Petain, and Admiral Darlan are to meet again today. After the first meeting Laval went back to Paris to report to the Germans on his success.

Washington reports say that the re-entry of Laval is regarded as marking a serious crisis in French policy. A grave view is taken in London of the swift political developments in France.

In an interview in Vichy, Laval said that he intended to follow a policy aimed at friendly relations with Germany and the United States. He hoped to obtain a peace with the Axis which guaranteed the independence and integrity both of continental France and the French Empire. His policy would be based on the solution of the following problems :— (1) Maintenance of the integrity of the French Empire. f, (2) France’s attitude in the war between Britain and Germany.

(3) The disposition of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, which could be solved only by a friendly understanding with Germany. He added that he would soon declare more exactly his policy regarding French-American relations, and in the meantime he stood by his message to America of last May, when he guaranteed that the French fleet would never be turned over to Germany. “Chief of Government.” A Vichy spokesman yesterday said that Marshal Retain had given up the chairmanship of the Cabinet to M. Laval, and that as Chief of the Government Laval would be responsible only to Marshal Petain, the Chief of State. Admiral Darlan remained the successor to the Chief of State, but relinquished the title of Minister and adopted the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Land, Air and Naval Forces, with the right to attend any meeting of Cabinet. M. Laval would suggest the names of the other Ministers to Marshal Petain. The Berne correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that Laval’s post is parallel to that held by Petain. The posts of Premier and Vice-Premier are abolished. The German radio inferred that Laval would take the actual leadership, with Petain’s position only a nominal one. While the important moves are being made in Vichy, Axis spokesmen— French and German—have been raising a chorus of threats. One Axis news agency said yesterday that very important changes in the general policy of the Vichy Cabinet might be imminent. The French quisling, Marcel Deat, declared that the Vichy Government must declare its willingness to co-op-erate or Germany would take forceful measures. “Within a few weeks,” he added, "our Mediterranean fleet must regularly protect our convoys, our air force must dominate the skies, and our troops, instead of just parading, must go into action.”