M. BLUM GIVES EVIDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 25737, 30 July 1945, Page 5

M. BLUM GIVES EVIDENCE

Armistice With Nazis Recalled

(Rec, 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 28. M. Leon Blum, the former Socialist Prime Minister of France, said in evidence at the Petain trial that he left Paris in the dead of night in 1940 when he realized that the city would not be defended and it became clear that the Army heads at Bordeaux had given up hope. He had lived in the illusion that Paris would be defended with energy and purpose. As M. Blum went to. the witness stand, Petain turned to his counsel and asked, “Who is it?” Counsel replied, “It is M. Blum; you know, Leon Blum.” Before the session began several jurors expressed discontent at Petain’s refusal to obey the judge’s order to answer a question. They said they would attempt to oblige Petain to speak. Speaking with tear-filled eyes, M. Blum said that when the Minister of State, M. Camille Chautemps, was introducing a motion in favour of .an armistice the Army chiefs were saying that France no longer had an Army. Petain, when the witness came to power, tried to take a ship for North Africa, but was turned back. “France broke her word to the Allies and France was cut in two,” added M. Blum. After describing his -arrest and sentence by Petain to life imprisonment, M. Blum declared: “The armistice was concluded with the deliberate object of overthrowing the Republic, and the country from beginning to end never knew what was happening. No Oriental despot ever had more power than Petain assumed for himself.” Of the two corrupting days at Vichy when power was passed to Petain, M. Blum said: “Fear was at work, fear or Doriot’s gunmen, of Petain’s soldiers and of the Germans.”

REFUSAL TO GIVE Another attempt to make Petain speak at the trial failed. The judge, through counsel, questioned Petain who replied to counsel, “I shan’t answer. Counsel, announcing the reply, added aggressively: “There are too many of these incidents. I repeat once more that Petain does not want to reply and will not reply.” M. Michael Clemenceau, aged 72, the son of “The Tiger,” said that M. Reynaud and M. Mandel were Germany’s principal enemies. In ringing tones he said, “Petain surrendered them to the Germans. If my father was of this world he would be the first to beat his breast. My father made Petain a marshal; he would regret it.” M. Clemenceau said his doubts concerning Petain arose in 1940. He wrote to the Marshal and said, “I forbid your Government to make use of my father’s name.”

Three jurymen rose and declared that the accused heard perfectly when M. Clemenceau accused him of delivering M. Reynaud and M. Mandel to the Germans. One made a gesture of indignation. Counsel replied that Petain heard the witness standing near, but not the judge. General Paul Andre Doyen, a member of the Wiesbaden Armistice Commission, said there were two policies towards Germany; one was Wiesbaden and the other Vichy. “Vichy undid everything we did,” he said. “Laval directed the Vichy policy. The Armistice included a clause written by von Rundstedt declaring that Germany was not beaten in 1918 and that France was responsible for the first world war.” Petain had reacted violently when General Doyen told him that Laval was doing everything to oblige the Germans. Laval was arrested and Petain said that Laval was dirt. A few days later General Doyen received a letter stating that Laval’s dismissal did not mean a change in the collaboration policy.