Evening star., 1943-11-25
frances Ex-Ministers
Seen Behind Petain 5
Democratic Trend
By PERTINAx.

Inc conf1lct which broke out two
weeks ago between Marshal Henri
Philippe Petain on the one side and
Premier Pierre Laval and the Ger
mans on the other is accounted for
by the fact ascertained from diplo-
matte sources that the marshal for
some time has shown some readi-
ness to comply with the advice Of
various former ministers of the re-
publican era.
Those former ministers, who In
1939-40 were conspicuous appeasers
and later became out-and-ou COL
laborationists, are satisfied now that
the Allies are bound to win in this
war. They know that the Commit
tee Of National Liberation, if it sue
ceeds in establishing itself on met
ropolitan soil in the wake of the
British and American Expeditionary
Forces, will enforce against them
the most drastic reprisals. They
want Marshal Petain to call back
the National Assembly which in
vested him with dictatorial powers
on July 10, 1910, as soon as the
Nazi control Is shaken off and to
declare that there cannot be any
other repository of national sover-
eighty than the aforesaid assembly.
Such is their plan for the future.
For the present they urge Petain to
convince French. British and Ameri-
cans by some appropriate gesture
that he intends to be, when circum-
stances permit, the restorer of
French democracy. Thus originates
the hint which Petain intended to
convey in the radio address he was
unable to deliver as the outcome of
Nazi interference.
Politicians Meet.
Three weeks ago, a diplomatic
report received here disclosed that
Georges Bonnet, Anatole de Mon
zie. Jean Mistler, LOUIS Oscar Fros-
sard and another important politi-
clan of the same brand met at
great length, discussed the dangers
they all would have to face and
agreed as to a common course of
action. simultaneously, Premier
Laval, who must have been aware
of what was brewing, tried to per-
suade Bonnet and De Monzie to
serve under him as cabinet minis
ters. They hesitated, postponed
their decision from day to day, and
finally rejected the offer.
Instead of joining hands with
Laval, they resolved to approach
the marshal and suggest to him
an eventual surrender of his excep-
tional powers to the National As
sembly. The incident means that
they still hope to save their skins,
while Laval feels that he has no
choice but to cling to his German
protectors regardless of what hap
pens to them on the battlefield.
Laval previously had managed
through Francois Pietri, Ambassa-
dor to Madrid, to make overtures
to Allied diplomats but had been
Immediately discouraged.
Bonnet was Minister Of Foreign
Affairs under Premier Edouard
Daladier from April, 1888, till Sep
tember 10, 1899 He was transferred
to another ministerial department
after having been practically COM
PEELED by the majority of the cabi-
net to declare war on Germany.
De Monzie was ousted from Office
by Paul Reynaud on June S, 1910,
when records of his telephone con-
versations with the Italian Embassy
were submitted to the Premier. |
Mistler was the chairman of the
Committee of Foreign Affairs Of the
Chamber Of Deputies, and he shared
In Bonnet's intrigues before and |
after the Munich settlement. Fros-
sard, a former Socialist, was one
of the ministers who insisted be-
tween June 13 and June 16 for the
conclusion of the separate armis-
tice with Germany and Italy.
Trials Wanted.
The Committee of National Lib
Grafton in Algiers long has pro-
claimed it's intention to have all
those men put on trial for treason
abuse of public trust and other
charges. They can hardly have
doubts as to their fate. Marshal
Petain himself will not be spared.
OF the 900 senators and deputies
elected in 1886 or before) who sat
In the National Assembly Of July,
1910, 500 gave their votes to the
marshal on July 10 and must aban-
don all reasonable hopes of ever re-
entering public life if the Com
mittee of Algiers, with the move
ments of resistance at its back, has
Its way.
Bonnet, De Monte and their
friends, not to speak of Petain, rely
on the support of that majority of
parliamentarians. They never held
any public Office under the Vichy
dictatorship. They expect the Ma
tional Assembly of 1910 to prove,
under their leadership, more than
match for the Algiers Committee.
The outward forms of legality
would be on the assembly's side and
the committee would be renounced
to the conservative section of the
French people as a revolutionary
body filled with Communists and
Popular Front leaders.
Any quarrel or controversy which
causes the Allied governments to
stand up against Gen. Charles de
Gaulle and his colleagues is a god
send to the planners who of recent
weeks have moved Petain from his
stationary position.