The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-17

approval, and have an important role in control of occupied France )
 As Abetz met with Petain, Laval remained at his Chateldon chateau, which rises on a rock over the lit- tie valley village. The only sign of life at the castle, viewed from the nearby highway, was a pack of ! eskimo dogs which were brought back from a North Cape cruise by Laval's daughter, Josie, who was with her father today. She is the Countess De Chambrun.
 AbeJz was accompanied on his visit to Petain by a councillor and a group of six German soldiers, who waited outside in an automo- bile with sub-machine guns in their hands. Military honors were ac- corded the ambassador by a com- pany of French artillery.
 C0nfers With Petain
 4 Here on a special visit to inquire into the reasons for Laval's dis miSsal, AbetZ started a conference with Petain, French chief of state, at 10 a. m. (4 a. m. EST).
 (Berlin dispatches had indicated that Germany regarded the busting as serious matter and might, un- less satisfactory explanation could be made, alter its entire attitude toward the Vichy regime)
 Abetz was received by Petain with military honors at the Sevigne Pavilion, a former hotel which now is Petain,S official residence as chief of state of France.
 Abetz arrived in a Packard car, escorted by French motorcycle troops and followed by carload of German non-commissioned officers armed with sub-machine guns.
 Both Petain and Abetz wore formal uniforms.
 After the German envoy's formal reception, he and Petain began a conference On the Laval affair.
 Pierre e-Etienne Flandin, Laval's successor as foreign minister, was confined to bed by grippe Abetz had paid a brief courtesy visit to him on his arrival from Paris last night.
 Petain arranged a formal lunch con for Abetz He had planned a state visit but Abetz wants to leave this afternoon so he could arrive in Paris tonight.
 rgency of Mission
 (This also would indicate a de- gree of urgency in Abetz's mission, as he would naturally report to Adolf Hitler from occupied Paris and not from non occupied Vichy)
 Upon his arrival last night, es- corted by German soldiers armed with sub-machine guns, Abetz paid q brief courtesy visit to Pierre Etienne Flandin, Laval's successor as foreign minister, who is i'll abed with grippe.
 It was hoped that Flandin could talk ct greater length with Abetz today, as part of the German en- Voy,9 mission was to effect personal contact with Flandin and other key men who will now administer French foreign policy under Petain. : Ahetz was the first official Ger man visitor to Vichy since Petain and Hitler, at their conference at Montoire, discussed relations. Since then all negotiations had been con- ducted at Paris by Laval and Fer nand De Brinon, French envoy to Pariy. Brinon accompanied Abetz to Vlchy.
 It was intimated that Abetz's visit here was one purely in search of Information and that he would make no demands on Petain.
 Well informed quarters forecast that as the result of the visit, Pe- tain might speed up his plans to make his headquarters as chief of state at Versailles, outside Paris. II Petain moved to Versailles he would have a secondary headquar- ters here, where the foreign office and other departments, and the diplomatic corps, would remain.
 sAbetz came to Vichy with staff of seven experts and a guard of nine soldiers, who during the motor drive through non-occupied France stood at the alert in motor cars, preceding and following Abetz's car, with their tommy guns at the ready.
 Laval remained at his chateau. Officials emphasized that he had not been arrested, though after his
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