FRENCH HIGH COMMAND

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 35, 11 February 1931, Page 9

FRENCH HIGH COMMAND

IMPORTANT CHANGES

PETAIN TAKES OVER AIR DEFENCE

/ (Received 11th February, 11 a.m.) LONDON, 10th February. "Tho Times" Paris correspondent says that Cabinet has mado important changes in the French High Command by appointing Marshal Petain Inspect-or-General of Air Defences on land. General Weygand succeeds him as VicePresident of the Supreme "War Council and Inspector-General of the Army. Marshal Petain is charged with the task of co-ordinating the Ministries of Air and Defence. Tho policy of concentrating all air defences on the Air Ministry is reversed, Marshal Petain controlling all branches of air defence, including personnel and material. ,

Henri Philippe Potain, now 72 years of age, was commanding.a,regiment at the outbreak of war, but.so soon showed his genius for military-affairs that he was advanced to the charge of an army corps within a year. Ho greatly distinguished himself during the French offensive near Arras in May, 1915, and organised tho battle zono to stop the Crown Prince's advance on Verdun. In April, 1916, he became Chief of the General Staff in Paris, and the following month gained command, of tho French armies in tho field which ho held until the end of the war. In November, 1918, he became a Marshal of .France, and subsequently was appointed a Vice-President .of the Supremo War Council. It was in this capacity that ,ho visited Morocco in 1925 to supervise the employment of the reinforcements which were being sent out to campaign against Abdul Krim.