Evening star., 1942-03-31
Plot 10 Overthrow
Vichy Government
Reported Thwarted
luvuI Declared to Have
Told Marshal Petuin Of
De Monzie Scheme
BY Radio to The Star.

BY Radio to The Star.
SOMEWHERE IN EUROP E,
March 31.-A plot to overthrow the
Vichy cabinet and constitute a gov
ernment in Paris was elaborated
last week by a group of disgrunt!ed
former French politicians and was
the real reason for the unexpected
sudden meeting of Pierre Laval and
Marshal Petain last Thursday, &C
cording to exceedingly well-informed
sources
The instigator of this deal, which
comes after specially violent
month-long Paris press campaign
against Vichy policy, is Anatole de
Monzie, minister of public works in
the 1910 Daladier cabinet, who now
lives in retirement at his Perigord
estate and whose pro-Fascist in
trigues during the war were a nui-
Sance to his chief.
De Monies plan was to propose
to Otto Abetz, German Ambassador
to Paris. team of men Solidly con-
vinced that the future of France
consisted in quick integration of the
country into Europe's new order, a
sort Of Paris Quisling government.
This. If Abetz had agreed, would
have worked in Paris, with or with
out the marshal's consent.
Deaf Listed As Adherent.
Among adherentS of the De Mon
Sle plan. the informant lists Marcel
Deaf and rather surprisingly also,
Georges Bonnet, former foreign
minister and Ambassador to Wash
lngton, and CASTOR Bergery, former
envoy to Mosoow-today both men,
bers Of the National Council.
De Monzie made overtures to
Laval and a formal meeting of the
group was arranged in Paris for
March Is as preliminary to the
visit OF Abetz. Instead of accom-
panying De Monzie to see Abetz,
Laval hurried back to Chateldon,
dispatching the benevolent Count
de Chambrun to beg an interview
with the marshal. At Randan Laval
revealed the whole plot to the chief
OF state.
The Laval-Petain rapprochement
may have roots deeper than was first
beileved and Lavals patriotic ges-
lure may well be rewarded with an
important governmental mission,
Shifts Not Expected Soon.
The Nazi agency in Switzerland
Telepress, is cherishing the strong
est sympathies for Laval TelepreSs
with the D. N. B. (Nazi official news
agency is the only uncensoreo
Vlchy news source, today quotes
Laval as having agreed to return
to Office only if serious hopes OF
Franco-German collaboration TAX
Ing favorable turn in the interest
OF bOth countries are confirmed
The scheme, according to this per.
haps hasty source, is that Laval
should become vice president OF
the council, controlling the minis
tries OF information, foreign affairs
and interior, leaving Admiral Jean
Darlan also a vice president, as
mead OF the military cabinet.
Rumors floating around in diplo-
matte circles here today report tha1
Laval actually is in Berlin complet.
Ing consultations with the Germans
and that no imminent reshuff1e in
the French cabinet is expected tc
occur. Meanwhile, the Germans
who apparently have nothing to dc
with the De Monte plot and even
might be fairly disgusted with this
new proof of lack of the patriotism
OF some French politicians, keer
the same attitude of aloofness con.
corning the whole Laval affair.
An important Nazi in this part ol
Europe is reported to have answered
a query about Frances interior cri-
sis by struggling his shoulders anG
saying:
DO you really think We Germans
have no other solution of the French
problem than M. Pierre Laval?"
tCopyrisht. 1912, Chicago Daily News)