PETAIN’S TRIAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1945, Page 5

PETAIN’S TRIAL

REYNAUD’S DISCLOSURES CHURCHILL OFFER OF UNION (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, July 24. .“The Franco-British Union, proposed by Mr Churchill in June, 1940, was a generous offer. We will have to do this some day, whatever critics say,” declared the former Premier, M. Reynaud, when the trial of M. Petain on a charge of treason was resumed in Paris to-day. M. Reynaud recalled the important meeting of the French Cabinet at Bordeaux, on June 15, 1940, whereat he said he was not against the order to cease fire, but opposed the demands for an armistice. He met with fierce opposition from Petain, and Weygand. M. Chautemps favoured asking the Germans for terms, but witness wanted to leave for Africa. “I took a piece of paper and divided it into two; I wrote on one side the names of those favouring Chautemps’ proposition, and on the other names of those favouring my proposal. If I recall correctly, there were 13 names supporting Chautemps, and six favouring me.”

M. Reynaud said the military surrender involving French troops in France and the national surrender involving the French Empire were two different things. He intended to avoid a formal surrender while moving the Government to North Africa, and continuing the war from there. He had a grievous mission informing the British that the Cabinet majority favoured asking for the enemy’s conditions. He was then left with no choice except to resign, after President Lebrun had asked him to enforce the Cabinet majority’s policy and he had refused. ‘ The next day he received the British union offer. A British liaison officer, Major-General Spears, also withdrew Britain’s limited permission for an armistice. M. Chautemps opposed the offer on the ground that he did not want to see France become a British Dominion. M. Reynaud said that the French Ministers were overawed by the tremendous German military force rolling south towards them. Mr. Roosevelt sent Petain an “extremely strong” message, warning him he risked losing the friendship of’ the American Government and people, this depending on the armistice terms he received from Germany. Wuile the armistice terms continued to be discussed, witness argued _ with Petain and Darlan about the future of the French fleet. Darlan said he would rather put the fleet to sea than deliver it to the Germans, but later he would only say he would see the fleet did not fall into German hands. Darlan ordered the fleet commander to sink the ships rather than let the Germans get them. Witness immediately informed Mr. Churchill of this order, but Mr. Churchill had no faith in Darlan’s word, and the result was the engagement between the British and Vichy fleets at Oran.

M. Reynaud said the persecution of himself and M. Mandel then began. They were first accused of embezzling public funds, but found not guilty; then they were imprisoned. Witness declared that Petain’s first act was to overthrow the Republic of France, defeated because the parliamentary institutions did not runction anu through the blind confidence placed in military chiefs. He concluded his testimony with these words: "Never wuj a people so deceived in a man. No man has ever done so much harm to the French people as Petain. It was this man who but yesterday took refuge behind de Gaulle.” OFFER TO ITALY The trial was suspended for half-an-hour because Petain was showing signs of feeling the heat of the overcrowded courtroom. The defence counsel, Payen, declared that “infamous calumnies” were habitual with Reynaud, citing Reynaud’s accusation in 1940 that King Leopold was a traitor. Reynaud: I certainly accuse him of high treason. It is a matter of historical fact that Leopold surrendered without warning anyone.” Under cross-examination Reynatid revealed that fifteen days before Italy entered the war he proposed to Britain that concessions might be made to Italy in North-Africa, in order to prevent her coming into the war. Several jurymen interrupted Reynaud’s cross-examination, when defending counsel declared: “Not many resistance people had in their records such good testimony of their staunchness as Petain.” One angrily shouted: “You have no right to speak to members of the Resistance like that.” Reynaud, describing his imprisonment by Germans said: “Petain delivered me to the Germans. I meant that when I said it at the time, and still maintain it is the truth.”