Evening star., 1941-08-11


American lUdr correspondent tells
the story of his arrest and i'm
prisonment for four months by
the German forces in occupied
France and diScloSes information
he cleaned from other prisoners
and Ndst ouardS.)
BY JAY ALLEN,
Correspondent for The Star and N. A. N. A.
NEW YORK. Aug. 1l.-After the
kreigsrat judge advocate) at LIE
Creusot had satisfied himself that
I was not deliberately working
against the best interests of the
German Army of occupation, the
questioning switched to my inter-
view with Marshall Petain.
1 informed him that 1 had been
granted an interview with the
Marshal by ex-Premier Pierre
Etienne Flandin, the only interview
Petain had ever given and at time
when Flandin was frantically court
ing Nazi favor. This interview ap-
parently had pleased the Germans
because it had been played up in
Germany and the press of occupied
France, which is German.
Seeing the question in my inter-
locutor's eyes, ! said that it had
not been my purpose to please the
Nazis, though I had been criticized
by friends, of course, who would
blame mirror for what it reflects
as Nazi-minded for sending this
| interview.
Explained Interview.
was glad to send it because
was anxious to dispel the illusions
about Vichy that had grown up
after the dismissal of Pierre Laval
and get over my view that Flandin
and Admiral Francois Darlan were
both ready to serve the Germans
and would prove more effective in
promoting collaboration" than the
universally despised Laval. I said
that / felt sure the Germans could
not object to my reporting a state
OF affairs in Vichy that was their
own contriving.
The Herr Kriegsrat was verv
curious about my movements in
Paris. I told him where I lunched
and dined every day-mostly
Maxims, which was full of German
oflcers. He asked whether l had
picked up any military information.
l answered that even the embassies
and legations, still in Paris at the
time, were not able to find out any
thing. He wanted to know where
I had lodged. I told him I could
not say: did not want to compro-
mise friends.
In answer to quizzical look,
said, Your GeStapo is so efficient
that my friends would surely have
a visit and they would be worried"
why would they be worried?"
said that I did not think any,
body liked the police around. In
my papers he had found a tiny slip
of paper with half of an address.
He was very curious about that.
I felt that I could give no pre-
cisions.
He was stern. At last he said,
will you swear that the person
concerned is not engaged in work
against the Deutsche Wehrmacht?"
Questioned on War Ideas.
thought I could swear to that
honestly. I thought for a moment
OF the friend in question as I
had seen him three weeks before
in Paris, 20 years older than when
he fought so gallantly on the Ebro
in Spain in 1888, sought by the
police of three countries, penniless,
sick hunted animal no, he
would do no more harm to the
Deutsche Wehrmacht but the
Deutsche Wehrmacht could still do
much to him.
Then the Herr Kriegsrat asked my
ideas on the war. l did not feel
that excessive candor was called for
but had to say something.
To his question, Would America
declare war on the Reich, I an
swered, Il wouldn't know. My COM
munications have broken down. But
I do know that declarations of war
are SO old-fashioned!" He really
smiled at that.
And as to who should win the
war, my answer was that western
democracy was fighting a last-ditch
battle and that insofar as this is q
war for the defense of democratic
ideals (the Germans say that it is
an imperialist war; it had been
lost before it was officially declared
in 1889" He cooked his ear to this
and asked me to elaborate. I said
/ thought that Germany and Italy
had won their major victories
against us all before September
1899. Since the Feuhrer had said
this was his intention, I felt that ]
could say it. He knew what I wal
talking about. We both looked al
the somnolent plant of the Schnied-
ers, who had never been willing to
believe that Hitler was the enemy
in the critical years before 1889.
Asked to Sign Statement.
From his notes taken during my
testimony the Herr Kriegsrat drew
up a statement in German that ]
was asked to sign after 1t had been
retranslated to me by DR.. Schlunk
The translation of this last busi-
ness was inexact. They had me
| saying "The war was lost by the
democracies before they began it.
I objected and said that while ] was
in no position to argue the point
I had not said that 1t had been lost