Evening star., 1942-04-24
Major Role Is Played
By Leroy-Ladurie
In vichy, France
Former Shipping offieioI
emerees os ReoI Power
Behind Petoin's Throne
By PERTINAx.


For the first time since the vichy
rulers launched their "nationa
revolution" In France and boosted II
TO their countrymen as the all.
important development by the sids
of which the defeat OF the Frenct
Army and Frances surrender te
Germany pale into insignificance
Jacques Leroy -Ladurie Is given min
isterial preferment.
Leroy name Is un-
known TO most Frenchmen, not tc
speak of foreigners. Yet, ms the
recent history OF France comes un-
der the searchlight and its darkest
corners are fathomed. the part
played by that colleague of Pierre
Laval stands forth prominently.
In the last six or seven years
Leroy-Ladurie was one OF the main
springs. IL not the main spring, of
the French counter revolutionary
movement. the movement which
burst forth irresistibly when the
French military system broke down
Initiated Collaboration Scheme.
II was through Leroy-Ladurie
that Baudoin. Petain, Weygand and
In their footsteps, Laval seized po-
litical power. Through him gradu-
ally was recruited and installed In
positions of influence the gang
which suppressed the republican
institutions and forced the separate
srnaistice on a country which, with
its fleet and its oversee empire,
could have continued the fight.
Through him was inflated the
scheme OF collaboration with Hitler.
At last, he issues from the back
ground where ne had chosen to con-
ceai his activities. Marshal Petain's
equivocsl policy has come to an end
and Laval openly harnesses France
to the new order" Secrecy is need
ed no longer. Leroy-Ladurie casts
OF his mask. He joins the cabinet
as Minister of Agriculture and Food
Supplies.
Where does he come? During the
last decade, he did not pretend to
be more than businessman. He
was the assistant general manager
of an old-established firm of ship
pers, Worms ct Gle, which, not con-
tent to import and export coal,
started, by 1882. a bank of its own.
High Ofiicials in Company.
To understand what Leroy-La-
durie has accomplished, 1t Is enough
to mention the men who gathered
around him as partners or execu-
tive ofIicials at Worms ct Gle
Jacques Barnaud. the general man
ager. today secretary of state for
Franco-G German economic relations;
Pierre Pucheu, Minister of the In
terror until last week: Paul Marion,
Minister of Information; Albert
Guerard. one Of the secretaries of
state attached to Laval. the man
who was ordered year ago by Ad-
miral Darlan and Rudolf Hess to
report to Syria and. there. quickly
turn over the air fields TO German
ground crews,
Marion previously had spent years
In Moscow. In the regular employ of
the Comintern. What was he do
tng among shipowners and bankers,
on the payroll of Worms ct Gle?
The answer is that he was the link
between them and such political
gangsters as Jacques Doriot. From
Worms ct Gle flowed the funds
which kept the counter-revolution-
ary party fully trimmed and ready
for al bold undertakings.
The intellectual leader of the
Worms ct Gle. group was Baudoin,
president of the Bank of Indo-
China. The latter became under
secretary of state to the presidency
OF the council. under Reynaud, at
the end Of March, 1910. and, little
by little. exerted on the head of the
government an influence nobody
could match. 1t was on Baudoin's
advice and passionate exhortation
that Reynaud made Marshal Petain
the vice president of the council on
May Is, 1910, and Gen Weygand the
generalissimo of the French armies.
Leroy-Ladurie Key to Mystery.
But how did he cause Reynaud to
swerve from the resolute policy for
which the latter had stood so long
and so consistently The current
explanation is that he had ingra-
tiated himself with Nine. de Portes
and, through her. under the pres
sure Of military disaster, made Rey-
maud change his line and grope to-
ward the separate armistice.
For years, Reynaud had dishked
Baudoin and refused TO have any
thing to do with him. Why did
he suddenly submit to an influence
he had hitherto resisted? Leroy
Ladurie is the key to the mystery.
He was closely associated with Nine
De Portes and Reynaud. Between
the pair and Baudoin he was the
intermediary.
From Vichy, the most trustworthy
observers have never ceased, all
through l94l, TO call Leroy-Ladurie
the power behind the throne. Now.
he will have a direct hand in the
enforcement Of the new order" all
over France.
Less than 10 years has elapsed
from the day he first went to Ger
many and grew enthusiastic about
the training and inspiration of Hit
ler's youth. His final emergence
today shows that, in the mind of
some misguided Frenchmen, there
has been continuity of purpose
and achievement that was not to
be found to any degree, alas. in
the makers of Frances ofiicial policy
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