Evening star., 1942-10-03
Ex-Premier Herriot
Under Home Arrest,
Vichy Announces
Berlin Radio, However,
Reports He Has Been Put
In Concentration Camp
By the Associated Press.

VICHY, Oct. 2 Delayed
Edouard Herriot, veteran states
man of Republican France and
outspoken critic of the Vichy
French regime, has been placed
under house arrest at Lyon, it
was announced officially today.
The 7O-year- old Herriot, three
times French Premier and long
president of the now dissolved
Chamber of Deputies, was placed
under residential surveillance by
the national police in the city he
served as perpetual mayor" until
the Vichy government ousted him
from that post in June, 1941.
Herriot was charged with political
agitation,' and it was explained fur
ther that the government did not
like Ibis attitude
M Herriot and Jules Jeanneney,
Senate chairman in the republican
days. have become vociferouslv anti
Vichy since the dormant French
Parliament was dissolved by Pierre
Laval.
First Was Premier in 1924.
This parliament, which provision
ally delegated power to Marshal
Petain, was elected in 1886 in the
last popular voting in France. In
that election the Socialists and
majority Left - the liberal bloc
gained plurality.
Herriot who made no secret of his
friendship for Britain and the United
States. represented the so-called
radical Socialist-really the liberal
wing which later turned against the
Left. He first was Premier in 1924,
held the post again for only 48 hours
in 1926 and headed the government
for a third time in the "all-Left'
elections of May, 1882.
His detention left at large only
Jeanneney and former President
Albert Lebrun of all the leading
political figures in the last days OF
the third republic. Lebrun now is
in retirement.
The Berlin radio broadcast a re-
port from Vichy today that Herriot
had been placed in concentration
camp at Vals les Bains in Unoc-
cupied France. The broadcast was
heard in London.
Both the German and italian
radios previously had reported
Herriot under arrest at his chateau
near Lyon.
A Swiss Telegraph Agency dis
patch from Vichy last night said
Herriot had been under surveillance
for several days after writing letter
to Marshal Petain objecting to sup
preston of the French Parliament
and declaring that Frenchmen would
not stand for being dragged into a
war against their former allies.
Called Pivot of Conspiracy.
An Axis-controlled station, "Ra'
dio Revolution" was heard by Reu-
ters News Agency to declare that
Herriot was the pivot of sombel
conspiracy against the policy Of
Marshal Petain and his govern
ment."
In London, the arrest drew the
comment of Gen. Charles De Gaulle
who was quoted by the News Chron.
icle as saying "it is in prison tha
the best of Frenchmen are now tt
be found In my opinion the per
sonal ordeal to which he is subjected
is great service rendered to France
and to the republic
Gen. De Gaulle's headquarter
said the arrest of Herriot was (
blunder which the experienced
Pierre Laval, chief of the Vich.
government, would never make un
less he was under great pressure b,
the Germans. Such a .blunder b,
Petain is inconceivable," headquar
ters added
Recently Fighting French head
quarters announced receipt of
&C., rY-D0T~r -