Evening star., 1945-08-10
.(16th IN q Series.)
BY PAUL REYNAUD,
War Premier Of Frsnce.


i
BY PAUL REYNAUD,
War Premier Of Frsnce
North American Newspaper Alliance.
| Georges Mandel and I were
moved, on November Is, 1s41. from
Vals to the fortress Of Portalet, on
the Spanish frontier.
The only way to see strip of sky
was to press ones face up against
the bars. One Of the walls of the
fort Is OF solid rock. So much water
seeps out that cutters have been
made to carry it on. In winter the
temperature drops to below zero.
Leon, Blum, Daladier and Gen.
| Gamelin stayed only few weeks
In this place: Mandel and I were
there for year.
For seven months we were kept
in solitary confinement. After that
was permitted, every evening, to
receive q visit from Mandel.
Some relatives and friends came
to see us.
In September, 1912, a South Amer
lean diplomat stationed in London
went to see friend of mine on the
Riviera and told him that he had
been commissioned by very high
British political figures to inquire
whether was prepared to escape.
They agreed on. a phrase which
was to be broadcast by the BBC
and on the place where the reply
should be communicated.
80. Agrees to Escape.
I agreed to escape, but I wanted
Mandel also to be included in the
arrangements.
We had reached this stage when
the Germans took q hand In the
game. ~,
On November II, 1912, following
the Anglo-American. landing in
North Africa, the Wehrmacht occu-
pied the whole of France on the
pretext of establishing control over
Mediterranean ports and the Span
ish frontier.
At 8 am. that day, a company of
SIS appeared at the fort. An ofiicer
told the governor of the fort that
he had come to take delivery of his
two prisoners.
I sent a telegram to Petain: II
address single question to your
sense of honor-are you going to
hand over your former chief to the
enemy?"
On November 40 I had my answer.
At o'clock in the morning,
warder knocked at my door. Good
news!" he said. "A telegram has
just arrived saying that the two
governments have agreed that you
should be transferred. Perhaps you
will be sent to join the others at
Bourassol."
Gets bad News"
At 7 o'clock that morning he
knocked again. This time he was
quite upset. "You are being sent to-
Bordeaux" he exclaimed.
Bordeaux was in enemy occupied
territory. This meant that We were
being surrendered to the Germans.
Ny journey to Bordeaux was like
q military operation. There were
advance guards, main body and rear
guards. When we arrived at the
Fort de Ha, we passed through a
heavy iron gateway. There a Ger
man noncommissioned officer clicked
his heels before the SIS officer ac-
companying us. shouting his name
and function as he did so. ..
The door of the cell was open.
I took one step into II, then, turn
ing to the noncommissioned officer
I said: There Is no heating liere!"
No sir, there Is no heating" bawled
this brute In reply.
flung myself on the camp bed.
The lights in its metal cage shone
into my eyes. Then came an air
raid warning. Mercifully the light
was switched on.
At midnight we set out again.
Head Northward.
We crossed q river and headed
north. After q few hours there was
a halt at a new prison. An IS man,
tall and pale. stood rigidly against
the wall. As passed him, I asked
Where are we?" .--.
II don't know" &
Henceforth, this was to be the
reply to every question.
/ After "A hours, asked for some
soap and the warders called out
to each other to come and watch
me washing myself. asked in vain
for q doctor, for my Ill usage at
Portalet had brought on an attack
Of shingles, and had q sore from
sleeping on plank bed.
The second evening, at late
hour, q civilian with SCARED face
came into my cell, accompanied by
two officers with deaths-head
badges on their collars. They clicked
their heels and gave the Naz sa-
lutte.
'You win leave tonight at 1915
j. a.m.," they said.
May one inquire for what des-
; tination?" .
!, we don't know"
Eventually our train arrived at a
|. freight yard in Berlin. From there,
a closed automobile took me to
Gestapo headquarters in the Will
helmstraSse. was shown into a
, large ONCE. I saw double doors to
; the right and left. wondered
! which leads to the torture
chamber" -
Left Alone.
Here I was left alone.
After dark, was taken down a
winding staircase into courtyard
Cars were waiting with engines run
ming. -, So.
Do they assassinate by night in
this country?
After travelling for half an hour,
we reached a camp. The car stopped
before a low building.
To right and left were iron bridges
closed by grilles.
| I discovered later that the camp
was Oranienburg, is miles north of