Evening star., 1940-07-11
THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON c, THURSDAY,
Daladier and Aides
Reported in Africa,
Virtually in Exile
Assembly Told Armistice
Committee Refuses Them
Transport Back to Fronee
Nv the Associated press

By the Associated Press.
VICHY, France, July 1l.-Former
Premier Edouard Daladier and other
leaders of the French government
were believed today to be in North
Africa and prevented from return
ing for yesterdays Assembly be-
cause the German French Armis-
tice Committee at Wiesbaden de-
MED them transport.
The strange story of the move
ments OF M. Daladier and other
French leaders was told dramati-
cally, in part by Vice Premier
Pierre Laval In an address to the
Assembly yesterday.
The WieSbaden Committee, M.
Laval charged, kept the absent
leaders from the Assembly by deny
ing them transport.
Sailed Day Government Fell.
Thus Daladier, former Cabinet
Ministers Georges Mandel, Cesar
Campinchi, Yvon Delbos and 9TH
ers were kept away. They sailed
from a French port the day the
Reynaud government fell and Mar
shal Henri Philippe Petain asked
the Germans for armistice terms.
Jules Jeanneney, elderly president
OF the Senate, read a telegram of
protest from M Daladier and the
others against their inability to be
present at the discussion.
Many of the Deputies of the ex-
treme right jeered, and both M.
Jeanneney and Edouard Herriot,
former Premier and president of the
Chamber of Deputies, leaped to the
defense OF the Daladier group.
Assigned to Ship Massilia.
NJ Herriot declared the Deputies
left on instructions from the gov
ernment," which he himself had
transmitted to them, on the ship
MaSsilia, assigned to them at the
governments order. He said he
tried to get them back In time for
the assembly and failed. M. jean
neney supported his statement.
For my part" said M. Laval, IT
say that it is not by leaving France
that one can serve her best"
He reported the Armistice Com
mittee at Wiesbaden had not yet
replied to a government request to
obtain a ship to bring those mem
berS of Parliament back to France
from Africa.
Then he asked Parliament to
avoid all that might impassion this
debate and consider the incident
closed.
lie Petit Dauphinois, Grenoble
newspaper, reported July that
Daladier. Mandel, Campinchi, Del
bos and other deputies left on the
Massilia the day before the cabinet
of Premier Paul Reynaud fell,
intending to continue French re-
sistance to Germany.
THE newspaper said the Mas
silia was refused permission to
dock at Casablanca, French Mo-
rocco, and later was halted at
sea and ordered to return to
France.
tThe controlled Brus-
sells radio said July s the Mas
silia was overdue and missing.
Later. foreign sources in Switzer-
land expressed belief the absent
leaders were in an English port or
imprisoned at Marseille)
Lebrun Expected to Resign.
Havas said President Albert Le-
brun was expected to resign soon,
in view of the Assembly's action
yesterday giving the government of
Premier Marshal Henri Philippe
Petain the power to rewrite the
constitution, which then will be sub
mitted to a referendum.
Marshal Petain is to become chief
OF the government and chief of the
state under a system modelled after
Fascist Italy
Vice Premier Laval said the gov
ernment planned to move again,
this time to Perpignan, Havas said.
After Laval thanked Parliament
in Marshal Petain's name for It's
vote and the Assembly adjourned
formally, Deputy Philippe Ferre
leaped to his chair and cried out:
Long live the republic, just the
same!"
Many voices echoed his cry, but
they soon we're drowned out by
shouts of Long live France"
State Similar to Spain.
The third French republic, how
ever, was dead and in its place
stood state in many respects SIM
liar to the Spanish Nationalist state
of Generalissimo Franco.
One notable difference is that
Laval has promised the new con-
stitution will be submitted to the
French people for approval by ref
erendum.
Marshal Petain himself did not
appear before the Assembly, the
Chamber or the Senate. The old
marshal made swarthy Laval, an ex-
premier, his delegate, and Laval
sped the bill for a new constitution
through the Assembly within week.
Marshal Petain, however, officially
holds power similar to that of Gen
Franco and faces reconstruction
problems similar, but greater, than
those of Nationalist Spain.
DnnenunI{ DIna nnfnre