PETAIN AT VERSAILLES

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 December 1940, Page 7

PETAIN AT VERSAILLES

TO MEET KING LEOPOLD GERMANS RETAIN CONTROL [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.] MADRID, December 6. The newspaper “Ya,” states that Marshal Petain is expected to be installed at Versailles on December 15. German troops are already evacuating the city, but it is certain that with or without Marshal Petain, Versailles will continue to be a German city. Marshal Petain is expected to meet ex-King Leopold of Belgium as a result of Leopold’s talk with Hitler in November, when Hitler laid it down that small nations like Belgium, having vast colonial empires, must pay fox’ their protection and future peace. Between now and the Spring, Germany absolutely needs efficient production collaboration in southern Europe.

LAVAL VISIT CANCELLED < LONDON, December 8. The Germans have now announced that the visit which M. Laval was to have made to Berlin has been cancelled. Spanish newspaper- comment on the announcement is that this means the postponment of negotiations for collaboration between the Germans and French against the British. Meanwhile, the Rome radio has reported that the Jugoslav Foreign Minister, M. Cincarmarcovic,-is going to Berlin shortly to meet Herr_Hitler and Herr von Ribbentrop, the German Foreign Minister. CONCENTRATION CAMPERS. (Received December 9, 11.15 a.m.) VICHY, December 8. Four men were sent to concentration camps at Toulouse, after attempts to reconstitute dissolved political parties. Three others were arrested for Communist activities. PRISONERS IN GERMANY. BERLIN, December 7. It is authoritatively stated that there are 1,410.000 war prisoners in Germany. These include British and French, and some Poles and others camps. Some camps are holding 70,000 men each. There are 1,187,000 prisoners in Germany who are gainfully employed under conditions that \vere laid down at Geneva. FREE FRENCH LEADERS. VICHY, December 7. The French Minister of Justice has announced that General de Gaulle, M. le Gentilholmme, M. Larminat and M. Catroux are shortly being deprived of their French nationality. MARTINIQUE BASE. WASHINGTON, December 6. General de- Gaulle’s representative, M. Jacques Desiyes, in a Press interview here, said: “If Free French elements gain control of Martinique Island in the West Indies, where 80 per cent, of the population sympathises with General de Gaulle, the United States would be granted the right of establishing a naval base there*'-

FASHIONS EXPORT. PARIS, December 7. Doctor Josef Hartmann, counsellor to the German Military Administration at Paris, has announced that it is hoped to resume the export of Paris dress and hat fashions to America. Germany is doing her utmost to find materials. The general textile situation in occupied France is satisfactory, although the production is only 30 per cent, of the pre-war output. Emphasis is being placed on the manufacture of rayons and fibre materials with a view of reaching the widest market. There are two million workers already at the looms in the northern textile districts. There has been remarkably little wax’ damage, excepting around Dunkirk and around Sedan. However, there have been cases where looms and stocks have been left unattended until they deteriorated. German textile experts made an inventory immediately after the occupation. They found the quantities »vere not so great as expected. New factories will be in operation after a ‘iyear.