15 LIBEL ACTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 119, 16 November 1937, Page 10

15 LIBEL ACTIONS

CROIX DE FEU LEADER

(Received November 16, 3 p.m.) PARIS, November 15. Colonel de la Rocque, former leader of the Croix de Feu, has begun fifteen libel actions against editors and others responsible on the staffs of the newspapers which allegedly published defamatory articles, .charging him with accepting secret funds.from the Government. • •■■'■■ •-■'.■ i A dramatic episode occurred. last month in the Lyons Civil Court during a slander action against Colonel de la Rocque by the Due Pozzo di Borgo, one of his chief lieutenants in building up the Croix de Feu (Fascist) movement. The Due di Borgo alleged that de la Rocque accused him of making false charges after the publication of an article in which the Due di Borgo declared that de la Rocque received money from the Government secret funds. The former Premier, M. Tardieu; caused a. sensation by stating in evidence that when he was Premier he regularly subsidised de la Rocque from the Secret Service: funds. De la Rocque received the funds on the ground that he required them to in : tensify recruiting for the Croix de Feu and to start a national volunteer movement. De la Rocque, in evidence, said he received no money from M. TarColonel de la Rocque was fined 200 j francs and ordered to pay the Due Pozzo di Borgo 300. francs damages.