Evening star., 1945-08-02
Laval Will Be Called
Tomorrow as Witness
In Petdin's 5 Trial
Gen. Serieny Testifies
Nozis Wanted Fronco to
Allow Gibrultur Attack
Ey the Associated Press.

PARIS, Aug. l2.-Plerre Laval,
whose name has come up fire.
quently in 10 days of testimony,
will be called as a witness to-
morrow in the treason trial Of
Marshal Petain, the court an
nounced today.
The old marshal fell sound asleep,
as did three of the jurors. as a pro-
ceSsion of defense witnesses por-
trayed him as anti-German and as
patriot who gave up French artil-
lery in North Africa to prevent the
Germans from marching through
Spain 10 attack Gibraltar.
Charles Trochu. president Of the
Paris Municipal Council, was telling
now Petain really was never in con-
troll of the Vichy government when
the 89-year-old defendant dozed of
Trochu raised his voice to shout,
saying Vichy ministers ruled their
departments and the marshal never
knew what they were doing. Petain
awakened and recess was called.
Tells Of Demand on Spain.
Laval, petain's chief of govern
ment, is in r r->"snes Prison. He, too,
faces treason CHARGES. but his trial
may be two months of.
1t was Gen. Bernard Serigny, long
a friend of Petain, who told how
Hitler early in 1941 demanded from
Generalissimo Franco the right to
send troops across Spain to attack
the British bastion guarding the
western entrance of the Mediter-
ranean.
The general, who described him.
self as an intimate friend of the
marshal, said Franco had disclosed
the demand to Petain along with
the information that he had re-
fused.
Petain, himself, was uneasy about
Spain, the witness testified, but he
quoted the marshal as saying:
Franco can count on me in re-
sisting the Germans demand for
permission to cross Spain"
American Message Read.
AS the trial started its 10th day,
defense counsel read a cable signed
by John Alexander Schaeffer, di-
rector of the National Republican
Vigilance Committee, New York,
which said:
American veterans who had the
honor of serving in France under
Gen. Tershing and who have ad-
mired .ou through the years as a
soldier md patriot salute you in
this grav hour. With abiding affec-
ton and confidence, we condemn
your trial as unrepresentative of the
great Frnch people and pray that
the cons cience of France will COM
pei tern .Ination of the proceedings :"
Leon Noel, the first witness, who
was Ambassador to Poland at the
start of the war, testified that the
armistice had no secret clauses. He
was a member of the French ArmiS-
tice Commission.
Noel said he told a cabinet meet
ing on June 26, 1910, that it was
necessary to maintain close rela-
tions with thhe United States and
Great Britain and warned Laval,
who was negotiating with the Ger
mans, that no concessions beyond
terms of the armistice should be
granted Hitler.
He said Vichy twice refused Ger
man requests for North African air
bases.
Although a defense witness, he
criticized the armistice and also Pc
tain and his associates for collabo-
rating. with the Germans:
"It was sad thing to see so
many Frenchmen serving their own
interests by agreeing to serve the
German interests" he said.
He found fault with the armistice
phrases about the French fleet,
which he said could have been
saved "in the period between June
II and June 23."
However, Admiral Jean Darlan
assured me he had given orders to
prevent the Germans from seizing
the fleet" Noel said. Il never
thought these orders would mean
the suicide of one of the worlds
greatest fleets"
He said the Vichy agreement to
surrender political refugees to the
Nazis was contrary to law, but
nothing was done to help them
avoid their fate Noel said Ger
man occupation costs were fixed
without discussion.
Wanted Petain to Flee.
Gen. Serigny said Petain decided
June II that an armistice was neces-
sary. The prosecution had con-
tended Petain was considering an
(see PETAIN, Page A-3.1