Evening star., 1940-12-20
Laval Custer Showed
Hostile Forces al
vichy, Nazis Say
Further Consolidation
Of French-Germon
Relations Expected
BY LOUIS p. LOCHNER,
Press War Corr.snoraeS,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
BERLIN, Dec. 20.-The French
cabinet shake-up of last Saturday,
known here as "the putsch of
Vichy," has taught the German
government one great lessen, men
In the know here say.
That lesson, they assert, is that
there is an influential group at
work within the French govern
ment to scuttle, If possible, at
tempts at French German rap
procurement such as planned be-
tween Reichsfuehrer Hitler and the
French former vice premier, Pierre
Laval.
German government circles, they
reported, long had suspected that
not all who were giving lip service
to the plan for a new order in
Europe" under German leadership
were sincere about it.
| LavalS sudden removal uncovered
the hands of these counter-forces.
1t is said here.
| Omclal sources were expected to
disclose news of further consoli-
dation within the French govern
ment" today or tomorrow-possibly
after a radio address French Chief
OF State Marshal Philippe Petain
has promised his nation.
Wilhelmstrasse Surprised.
There is no longer even the
slightest doubt that the Wilhelm
strasse was completely surprised by
the Vichy upheaval.
Marshal Petain, it is argued in
Well-lnformed circles in Berlin, has
about him a group of men who used
M. Laval because they knew him
to be acceptable to Germany.
AS the German Italian onward
rush continued, they contended. M.
Laval seemed very useful in paving
the way toward a French German
peace.
But, so the story goes, no sooner
did the Italians suffer reverses than
the forces around Marshal Petain,
which still nurse their old enmity
toward Germany, thought their op-
EoA eaAAAbJ Atad IOlllC.
The former allieG generalssimo.
Maxine Weygand. was dispatched to
Africa in the knowledge that he
could hold the French African en-
pire together and possibly even act
independently of Vichy should the
"putsch" fail. it was said. Germany
would be in no position to object
to M. Laval's removal from power
at this time for fear of what Gen.
Weygand might do, this thesis holds.
Laval Owes Release to Nazis.
The unofficial German comment
runs, however. that these sources
forget that France is a defeated ma
ton which still must take cognizance
of the victors wishes.
To the German government it
seemed indefensible that man with
whom Hitler had negotiated-Laval
should be ousted from Office and
detained without Germany being
even so much as informed.
Hence. the German Ambassador,
Otto Abetz, accompanied by Ger
man generals and SIS tNazi Elite
Guard) officials, hastened to Vichy
to obtain clarification and there
seems but little doubt that Laval
owes his liberation to German
efforts.
Meanwhile. Pierre-Etienne Flandin.
who is regarded as acceptable to
both the axis on one hand and
Britain and the United States on
the other. was asked to take over
M. Laval's duties as foreign minister.
Not knowing what the men around
Marshal Petain were doing-at least
so runs the story here-he agreed.
Neither NJ Flandin nor Marshal
Petain, who, well-informed Germans
said. wrote "a very fine letter" to
Hitler. are blamed here for the
"putsch of Vichy." Marshal Petain
Is regarded as too old to be expected
to follow politics in all its vagaries
and M. Flandin is regarded as hav-
ing been drawn in innocently.
Insisted on Reinstatement.
Abetz was reported to have in
sisted that NJ Laval must somehow
be reinstated as cabinet member.
Germans said they recognized that
Marshal Petain could not very well
throw M. Flandin out of the Foreign
Ministry and reinstate M. Laval.
M. Laval, for his part. was said
to want the Ministry of Interior
portfolio, which commands the en-
tire civil administration That.
however, would mean putting the
police power into his hands and con-
ceivably he might then arrest the
men around Marshal Petain, who
brought about his downfall.