Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-01
Italian Investigation
Laid Chiappe Death
To British, vichy Says
Airliner Carrying Him to
Syrian Post Caught in
Battle OFF Sardinia
By the Associated Press.


VICHY, Nov. 80. - Plump little
Jean Chiappe, the Napoleon" OF
the Paris police who was ousted In
the Stavisky scandal riots, died No
vember ~ in the crash of a French
airliner which the French govern
ment attributed today to machine
cunning by British fighter plane.
The government said in an off,
cial statement that Chiappe and five
companions on a flight from France
to French-mandated Syria were lost
when the plane crashed following
the attack off Sardinia during an
Italian-British naval engagement.
A government spokesman said the
accusation against the British plane
was based mainly on an Italian in
vestigation.
Machine Gunned. sos Says.
The statement said the plane had
radioed: 1--WE are being machine
gunned. plane on fire, sos"
In London, British sources said
the government had received no
official communication on the af-
fair. which admittedly could be
delicate.")
NJ. Chiappe had recently been
named new high commissioner Of
Syria He achieved a wide reputa-
ton for handling riots in Europe's
most temperamental capital during
his seven years as project of police.
But his lack of zeal in curbing
outbreaks following the collapse of
the S40,0O0,000 Bayonne pawnshop
of Serge Stavisky, his friend, In 1884,
brought NJ Chiappe's custer.
The scandal caused the fall of
Premier Camille Chautemps, and
his successor, Edouard Daladier,
promptly removed M. Chiappe.
Twice Elected Deputy.
Later, in a political comeback, NJ
Chiappe twice was elected to the
Chamber of Deputies.
The first hint of his death ap-
peared two days ago in a tribute
from Leon Daudet, monarchist edi-
tor once jailed by M. Chiappe, who
described him as an "irreproachably
gallant man."
Vice Premier Pierre Laval, at
whose request M. Chiappe took the
Syrian post, joined in tribute to
him. In Paris, M. Laval termed the
former police chief one of Frances
greatest servants" and added that
Premier Marshal Philippe Petain
would cite him for the Order of the
Nation tomorrow.
M. Chiappe was appointed high
commissioner of Syria following re-
ports that free French sympathizers
of Gen. Charles de Gaulle were max
Ing Roadway there.
This was officially denied by
M. Chiappe's predecessor, Gabriel
Puaux, five days before M. Chiappe's
appointment on November IS.
At that time Gen. Maxine Wey-
gand, commander of the French
forces in Syria before he was re-
called to try to avert the fall of
France, was in Africa checking up
on colonial forces. He was said to
have refused instructions from
Vichy to return to France.
Inundated to France by the League
of Nations, Syria won autonomy
under treaty with France in 1896.
But its independence ended sum-
marily when France suspended the
constitution shortly after the out
break of the present war and the
Leagues administrative post of high
commissioner again became all
powerful.
After the German-French armi-
stice, France began to demobilize the
army there, and of force once put
at around 100000, only 10000 re-
manned at last reports.
Syria lies south of Turkey and
east Of the Suez Canal and therefore
would be strategic route for axis
efforts to strike at the Suez Canal,
the Dardanelles and the rich Iran
oil fields.
There has been speculation that
M. Laval may have sent M. Chiappe
to Syria under pressure of the
Rome-Berlin axis, which was aware
of M, Chiappe'S Fascist leanings.