The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-06
Marshall
 Defended
(Continued from Page D

Petain fell asleep while Lacaille droned on about the activity of the armistice commission at Weisbaden. Prince Xavier said he could not hear very well because of an opera tion he had undergone while a pri- soner in the notorious Dachau camp
 Attacks Communists
 He attacked French Communists, charging they seem to claim a monopoly on the resistance move- ment. But the whole of France re- sisted. You need only open the reg isters of French nobility to see how many noble families lost sons in the resistance movement"
 AS member of resistance, Xa- vier said, he went to Vichy to see Petain, who told him:
 T am doing what I can to save France in this deplorable situation After peace comes, we will inevit- ably have to revert to the Republic. He said Petain complained hs could do nothing at Vichy because All my letters are opened, my phone calls are tapped, and my pub lie utterances controlled"
 Lacaille, 50, formerly chief of staff in Indo- China and once secretary of the permanent committee of na- tional defense, was the 10th witnes: called by the defense and the 31st since the trial opened two week! ago today.
 When court convened at 1:30 p m, defense chief Fernand Payer read cable from Pierre Merillon former member of the French em' bassy in Madrid, praising Petaip a. a man of sterling character. Petalr was ambassador to Madrid befort the war.
 Fewer Spectators
 The crowd in the blistering court room in the Palace of Justic thinned out today. After the appear ance of Pierre Laval, interest alvin dled as the court prepared to hear procession of minor defense witness | eS.
 Lacille testified that he oftel heard Petain support the use O aviation and armor in strengthen Ting Frances armed forces. But ther' were only a handful of planes ant no tanks in Indo- China, he said.
 Could we rely on our Allies?" h asked in discussing the defense o the colony which fell victim to Jap anese aggression.
 What" Judge Pierre Mongibeau inquired acidly. 'has that got to d with Petain?"
 Payen jumped up and, wagging protesting finger, said:
 For a week we listened to pollti clans attacking Petain, and we hay the right to refute their arguments.
 "We have heard enough" tn judge said, But if you insist Laca1ll can continue
 Payen and Prosecutor Andre Mol net got into 8 personal squabbl over the rules in calling witnesse Mongibeaux finally broke it up wit the peremptory declaration:
 q am the policeman in this cour so silence please"
 Petain Weary
 The courtroom scene was a Tel down from the tension of Laval appearance. Police sat relaxed, the tommy guns hanging on rack Petain looked wan, weary and ha asleep, showing little interest. | Only six of the 40 witnesses sum moned by the defense had bee heard when the procession was in terrupted by the court Friday present Pierre Laval, Petain's pre- mier in the former Vichy govern ment.
 | Laval was back in solitary con finement in Fresnes jail todd awaiting the opening of the state preliminary investigation of treaso charges against himself.
 The preliminary interrogation Laval probably will begin in mic week and the trial itself likely wi start in October or November. Ther appeared little prospect Laval woul be recalled for further testimony Petain'S trial.
 In addition to hearing furtht witnesses in the Petain trial, th court has been trying to persuad Charles Rochat, one of Petain aides at Vichy, to return to Franc from Switzerland to testify.
 The court particularly wished question Rochat regarding a tele gram Petain allegedly sent little after the Allied raid on Dieppe 1942 offering to help fight of an invasion. Rochat so far has refuse to leave Switzerland.