Evening star., 1942-04-18
Laval Keeps Three
Key Posts in New
Pro-Axis Cabinet
DorIon eorIier Named
Chief Of All French
Armed Forces
b. the Associated Press.

Armed Forces
b. the Associated Press
VICHY. Unoccupied France,
April 18-Pro-Axis Pierre Laval
today formed a new government
aimed toward increased collabo-
ration with Germany and kept
three key postSForeign Affairs,
Interior and Information-for
himself.
Laval. assuming the responsible
ties of chief of the government"
| took once under the high author
ity of the chief OF state to whom
he is responsible and to whom he
will account for his policies and
| actions" an oficial announcement
said
A government communiQue, dis
tributed with the new cabinet list,
said Marshal Petain. after confer
ences with Admiral Jean Darlan and
Laval esteemed that the present |
form OF government no longer re-
Sponded to the needs OF the foreign
and domestic policies of France
1t added that in accord with Mar
shall Petains wish for more vigorous
and more efficient action" he had
decided TO name Laval to a new
post, chief OF the government. while
Admiral Darlan became commander
of the forces.
Laval will assume effective direc-
ton of the foreign and domestic
policies" the communique said.
To assist him In the foreign min
istry Laval named two of his most
trusted heutenants, Count Ferdi-
nand de Brinon, present Vichy Am
bassador to the German authorities
in occupied France, and JACQUES /
Benoist-Mechin. former American
news correspondent and previously |
Vichy representative in Paris.
Paul Marion. secretary of state
for information. remained In his
post. Laval drafted two depart
mental projects to help him in the |
interior ministry-Georges Hilaire,
internal administration, and Robert
Bousquet. police.
Admiral Rene Platon, former min |
lister OF colonies, was also named as
one of Laval's assistants although |
his functions on the new govern
ment leaders staff were not clearly
defined.
Darian Confirmed Earlier.
The ofIicial government list /
omitted the name of Admiral |
Darlan, former vice premier and |
heir designate to Marshal Petain,
whose position as commander in
chief of all French armed forces had |
been confirmed earlier in the day
by oficial decree.
Only seven members of the old
government remained in office and
they were shifted around by Laval.
The new government was divided
into three groups Long time friends
of Lavars policies for collaboration.
the Young Economist" group and
civil servants. In some cases, the
groups overlap.
Only two members of the new
government did not fall in any one
of the three classifications They
are Josph Barthelemy, who remains
as Minister of Justice. and Lucien
Romier, who continues as Minister
of State Without Portfolio attached
to Marshal Petains office.
Other important posts included
Colonies-Gov Gen. Jules Brevie,
So. resident general of Indo-China
from 1886 to 1888 and an expert on
French West African problems.
War-Gen. Eugene Bridoux. 81.
Navy-Vice Admiral Paul Auphan,
A. chief of the French naval gen.
eral staff
Called From Occupied Zone.
Both youthful secretaries for the
interior had been called by Laval
from the occupied zone, where Bous-
quet, 80, had been prefect of the
Marine Department and Hilaire, "a,
| held the same position in the Aube
Department. They are the two I
youngest departmental projects in
France.
Gen. Bridoux. who commanded a
| cavalry division during the war with |
Germany. is former chief of the |
general cavalry training staff and |
has been stationed in Paris as one
of De Brinons assistants.
The new Minister for Agriculture
is Jacques Leroy-Ladurie, a brother
of the managing director of the
Worms Bank and an agricultural
expert who reorganized Normandy
farms and supervised the apple
harvest to meet the German requi-
sitioning requirements.
The new secretary of state for
agriculture and food supply Max
BonnafouS, is regional prefect of
Marseille and former prefect at
Constantine, North Africa. He had
previously been confidential secretary
to Adrien Marquet, one-time Mini
ster of the Interior.
Two Posts to Be Filled.
Labor-Hubert De Lagardelle, a
personal friend of Mussolini and
attache at the French Embassy in
Rome in 1885.
Finance-Pierre Cathala, long
time friend of Laval and former
secretary general for communica-
tions in the first Laval government
after the armistice.
National education-Abel Bonnard
of the French Academy and a mem
Der of the French national council
munications-Robert Gibrat,
38, present director of the electricity
and communications secretariat.
Public health-Dr. Raymond Gras-
set, so, departmental leader of
Petains National Veterans Legion
in Puy de Dome Department and
a longtime neighbor of Laval.
French general commercial rela-
tions-Jacques Barnaud. former sec
retary of economy charged with