PETAIN'S STAND

Grey River Argus, 19 December 1940, Page 5

PETAIN'S STAND

Against Pro-German * Schemes CAN HE HOLD OUT ? BRITISH SPECULATIONS r Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l (Received December 18, 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, December 17. The' 1 Paris radio stated, that Herr Abetz, German Ambassador had a three-hours’ conference with Marshal Petain, at which M. Laval attended for the last half-hour. Her r Abetz disclosed that M. Laval, before his arrest, was plotting to establish a Government with its seat in Par.s. He added that th e Germans had approved of the plan. But Marshal Petain discovered M. Laval’s plot. _He ordered M. Laval’s arrest just m time.

,The British United Pi;ess Berne correspondent stated: M. Laval was forced to write his own resignation at the full meeting of the Cabinet, at which he waq accused of attempting to supersede Marshal Petain. Other correspondents suggest that

M. Laval’s attendance at the conference between Marshal Petain and Herr Abetz implies that Herr Hitler seeks hi s reinstatement. Mr E. B. Wareing, a former chief of the “Daily Telegraph’s” staff in Paris, ha s reconstructed the plot. He says Herr Hitler planned to inveigle Marshal Petain to Paris on Sunday last to attend the reburial of the ashes of Napoleon's son. M. Peyrouton, however, stated to th e Cabinet his fears for Marshal Petain’s safety. Mr Wareing adds: “It is now believed that if Herr Hitler and Marshal Petain attended the reburial, th e . latter would have been in the same position as M. Hacha (Czechoslovakian President) and have been ordered to sign a German-dictated peace treaty. Marsha! Petain's refusal to do so would have been followed by a trumped-up story of his insanity and illness, giving M. Laval a legal' pretext to assum e power. M. Peyrouton, after the discovery of M. Laval’?, designs, took measures to prevent M. Laval from going to Paris, where he intended to meet his fellow conspirators.- Marshal Petain’s continuance in power may be conditional on his -giving Herr Htiler the right to transport troops across, the Vichv territory. A refusal might mean Marsha! Petain’s sunercession bv M. Laval. Marshal Petain is unlikely to withdraw from France, hut other members of the Cabinet might favour leaving for Africa in order to ' regroup themselves under General Weygand, who is reporter! to have recently expressed regret at h : s. own action in breaking off the struggle on the erroneous ground that a French revolution was close at hand ” (Received Dec. 19. 1 a.m.) LONDON, December 18.

From Vichy, Herr Abetz later went to Paris. Some reports say M. Laval accompanied him.