Evening star., 1945-08-03

w SS0AAAAAto ~S&~t 49,
], 1945.
yersations when We did meet. With
out doubt, rumofi has greatly exag-
gerated the importance OF our re.
lationship.
II can't invent any dime novel for
the sake of those whom such story
might interest. ! saw Petain from
time to time. That was my right"
Ordered to Stick to Case.
Tell the court OF events of June.
l940," Mongibeaux ordered.
Il was a member of Parliament"
Laval said. II did not belong to the.
government that signed the armi-
stice." ..-,'r,t
mo, you were, working in the
corridors" the Judge interposed.
II was a parliamentarian, II that
Is what you mear," Laval shot back.
1--WE met at Bordeaux, not because
1t was our right but because 1t was
OUR duty.
"One day Marshal Petain sum-
moned me. He offered me the post
Of minister of justice. / refused be-
cause I didn't think I could render
as good service there as elsewhere.
I told him I preferred foreign af-
fairs.
"Petain told me this was impos-
sible since it would be considered a
provocation TO London. He told me
he had put some one else In that
post.
Then he told me he was going to
sign the armistice.
Il have no particular hatred Of
England. I am not xenoprobic IA
dislike of strangerS. love my
country passionately. I thought the
French government should remain
in France-we could not abandon
the French people to the enemy. I
didn't believe the outcome of the
war would be changed by going to
North Africa One does not defend
ones country by abandoning it.
Never Legally Declared War.
In fact, this war was never
legally declared war If we had had
a parliament meeting we might
never have declared war We lacked
materiel. We had no modern bomb
ers. 1t was several months before
we had nine bombers"
Laval then asked: Who was
responsible for our lack of war ma
terrell? Credits always were voted.
But how the money was used, I
cannot say. The responsibilities
were multiple.
Il can say that 80 per cent of
Parliament favored the armistice,
1t seems to me erroneous to try to
place on Petain the blame for the
fact that those credits were not
used, or were badly used"
Mongibeaux interrupted again to
say: Please remember this is the
trial of Petain"
To some extent, it also is nv
trial" Laval answered Newspapers
all over the world will report these
statements and it will be useful for
people everywhere to learn some
OF my statements before my own
! trial"
What I am trying to find out is
what responsibility Petain had for
the fact that some credits were not
used for military purposes" Mon
gibeaux said.
| Petain Bows Slightly.
For the first time, Laval looked
at Petain, who bowed slightly.
Petain turned to his lawyer and
said:
/, Tell them left the Supreme War
Council in 1881 when reached the
Eagecof rs"
The Judge then asked Laval: why
| was Petain given power in l94o?"
! Laval said he had written notes
about this, but that all had been
conflscated. He asked that his notes
be returned SO, he could answer the
questions. He said he had the min
kutes Of National Assembly meetings
in his brief case, and also minutes
of the secret session of the National
! Assembly at syichy. July o, 1910.
! Both Prosecutor Andre Mornet and
defense counsel said they wished to
hear those minutes.
Returning to the judges ques-
ton. Laval said:
"Petain did not receive power
from the National Assembly, but
from the President of the Republic
(Albert Lebrun) and from the law
OF 1889 giving the chief of state
exceptional powers when Parlia-
ment was not in session.
Denies Organizing Coup.
"On July 10, the Chamber and
Senate met secretly. I have list
OF all members who made state
ments that day. I never organized
any coup d'etat and I never had
any intention of doing so. Far from
attacking government Institutions
it was my firm intention to defend
the republic"
| Laval said he personally, insisted
upon inserting the word republic"
in the text of the National Assembly
resolution which gave Petain full
power.
"Petain is marshal ;aof France,
not politician" Laval said.
He asserted that the three consti-
tutional acts which made Petain
powerful were valid only in the
sense that Petain had his authority.
in conjunction with the cabinet.
Laval said Petain could refuse to
sign any law, thus preventing it
from being enacted. Conversely,
Laval said, no act was valid without
the approval of the government Of
the republic.
Laval said the three constitutional
acts were not discussed by the cabi-