“TRIAL” DISCLOSURES

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1945, Page 5

“TRIAL” DISCLOSURES

FRENCH ARMY EQUIPMENT DALADIER'S CHARGES (Rec. 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 25. . France had better army equipment than was generally believed when the war began, said M. Daladier, resuming his evidence at the trial of Petain. Before France disarmed she had 3,600 tanks against 3.200 possessed ■by Germany whose production was no greater' than that of France. After the armistice France had 3,000 war planes. There were 2,200 war planes in the free zones of France and of these 1,200 were firstline. “If only Petain had given the signal for an uprising in France on the day of the Anglo-American landings in North Africa, he said, “what a glorious page in the history of his life would have been written.. Instead Petain ordered the troops in North Africa to resist the Allies. Petain not only killed the republic, but did everything possible to dishonour it.” While Daladier was tracing the history of the Riom Trials he picked up a chair and slammed it on the floor. He demanded publication of his dossier on the triads. He shook his fist and his voice rose frequently to a shout as he hammered home his points. Daladier accused Petain of taking judicial powers into his own hahds and arresting him on October 13, 1941 and condemning him without a hearing. . When a juryman asked Petain whether he sent a telegraph offering to co-operate with Hitler after the Dieppe raid the defence counsel leapt to his feet waving his arms and shouting: “The Marshal has already declared he does not recognise this Court and won’t reply!” Several jurymen intervened: “It is. shameful that he should be allowed to adopt an obstructive attitude.” Petain said: “How can I give explanations. I nave heard nothing that has been going on. I don’t know what it is all abount.” There were cries of protest and some laughter. Concluding his evidence M. Daladier said: “In my conscience Petain has betrayed his duties as a Frenchman.” EX-PRESIDENT’S EMOTION M. Le Brun, aged 73,- entered the witness-box after the luncheon adjournment. He was led into the Court with ceremony reserved for the Chief of State. In a voice trembling with emotion he told of the exchanges with Mr. Churchill and the British offer to make every Frenchman a British citizen, which the French Cabinet rejected. Le Brun said that as Petain had a majority he was compelled to call on him to form a Cabinet. Laval called on Le Brun on June 21 and insulted him as he had insulted Daladier by asking him to sign the armistice. Laval persisted in his reques! throughout the following day. Witness up to the last minute refused. Both Petain and Weygand wanted an Armistice. Petain, when it was proposed that the Government should go to North Africa, said no one had a right to abandon a country as unhappy as France. She must suffer before she should or could again arise. Witness added that Petain forbade him to go to North Africa. Witness refused the request of unnamed officials for his resignation, stating he would serve to the end of his term. Two days later he learned that the Vichy Government intended revising the constitution. Le Brun, at the end of his declaration, said he could hardly express his profound distress at the sight of the man, a warrior of France, who had risen so high to fall so low. The Judge, in the afternoon, loudly ordered Petain to get up and answer questions. ' Petain, at the suggestion pl his counel, complied when the order was repeated. PETAIN’S DREAMLAND. LONDON, July 25. Reuter’s Paris correspondent says: “It is difficult to say whether Marshal Petain is living in the world which surrounds his historic trial, or in a world of his own. His eyes are bright and lively whenever he turns to his counsel, but most of the time i his eyelids droop, his right hand nervously drums on the arm of his chair, and he seems wrapped up in a 1 far away dream. “The marshal, leaving the Court, saluted the armed policemen who lined the short route between the courtroom and his cell. He seemed i to mistake them for a guard of honour. He gave no sign of noticing that they did not return the salute.” BOXER'S LIBEL CLAIM LONDON, July 25. The libel action brought, in London by Georges Carpentier, the former world champion cruiserweight against the publishers of “Illustrated London News,” and the editor of “The Sphere" Jesse Meitner, has been settled on payment of a donation to the English Children’s Hospital, with costs, and a public apology. The action arose from captions under pictures in both publications. It was stated for Carpentjer that he never associated or collaborated with the Germans. His restaurant bar in Paris was requisitioned by the Germans after he had declined to open it for their benefit.