Evening star., 1941-01-20
Petain Seen Waiting
Hitler Reply Before
Shifting Cabinet
Dote Not Yet Set for
De Brinon to Return to
Vichy With Answer

BY the Associated Press.
VICHY, France, Jan. 20.-Chief of
State Marshal Henri Philippe Petain
will sit tight with his present cab
met. a high government source said
today, until Adolf Hitler replies to
his Christmas eve meSsagesoutlining
how German-F French collaboration
could continue.
This informant said cabinet
changes might take place only when
Fernand de Brinon, Marshal Petain's
ambassador in occupied France,
brought Hitler's answer He added
that no date had been set for M de
Brinon to come to Vichy.
He said, however, cabinet changes
might be considered in the mean
time.
German-FrenCh negotiations broke
down when Pierre Laval. vice pre-
mier and foreign minister in the
Petain regime, resigned last De-
cember 13 Marshal Petain and M.
Laval now have been reconciled and
resumed soon as a result.
Reinstatement Not Mentioned.
Although an official announce
ment yesterday said their "misun-
derstanding" had been ''dissipated"
at a traln-coach conference Friday,
nothing was said as TO whether M.
Laval had been or would be REIN
stated in the cabinet.
Reviewing diplomatic high lights
since M. Laval's departure from the
government, the government source
recalled that Otto AbetZ, Hitler'S
representative in Paris. visited Mar
shal Petain and brought message
from the German government.
The Chief of State replied in a
message carried to the Fuehrer by
Naval Minister Jeon Darlan Christ
mas Day. This was in the form of
a personal letter from Marshal Pc
tain to Hitler referring to possible
cabinet changes Hitler told M.
Darlan he would reply, this in
formant went on. but said that none
had yet been received.
Authorized sources said the do
rnestic and foreign policy of France
would ''in no way" be changed by
the patching up of the Laval-Petain
difference.
Petain Still Chief.
"The Marshal remains the chief
Of France, all France-occupied and
unoccupied and overseas" one
source declared. He remains the
man in whom all authority rests.
Our duty is to follow him.
whatever he does or says. Whomever
he chooses, whatever policy he pur-
sues
II was announced officially that
the Council of Ministers would meet
later today.
M. Laval's place as Foreign Min
lister was taken by Pierre-Etienne
Flandin, but at that time Marshal
Petain indicated he would not ap-
point Vice Premier.
(Reports were heard in Bern,
Switzerland, that NJ. Laval would
be designated to resume his work
as Frances representative in the
interrupted negotiations over
French-German collaboration. 1t
also was said France might
'streamline' her cabinet further,
centering authority in fewer min
listers. Marshal Petain already
has cut his cabinet from 20 to
ministers)
Observers pointed out that the
French, like Marshal Petain realize
the limitations of Frances present
position. Without M. Laval, it was
said, Frances efforts to continue
a program of collaboration with Ger
many had appeared fruitless.
Met in Private Train.
They recalled that the previous
meeting of Marshal Petain and NJ
Laval last December II apparently
was arranged by Abetz presumably
In an effort to reconcile the two
M. Laval left for Paris after that
meeting and remained there until
Friday when be met Marshal Petain
in the chief of states private train
at La Ferte, just south of the line
separating German occupied and un-
occupied France.
The conference lasted an hour and
IS minutes. M. Laval returned to
Paris and Marshal Petain to Vichy.
A French radio broadcast about
the meeting said Marshal Petain
was motivated by a desire to
strengthen the union of all French
men" and sought to avoid dangers
nf division, nf pYoiY9in,a