Evening star., 1945-08-03
Declares
His Overthrow
Quote Was JEST
Testifies at Trial
Of Petoin in Capacity
OF Court Witness
Ey the Associated Press.

ty inc ASSOCIATED FIesk,
PARIS, Aug. 3.-Pierre Laval
ruefully admitted at the treason
trial of Marshal Petain today
that he had said here is where
we overthrow the French Re-
public" when he was pushing
through acts which made the
marshal a virtual dictator. He
contended his remark was a jest.
Il am not a Fascist! l am not a
Nazi 1 love the republic" shouted
the haggard former chief of gov
ernment of Petain's Vichy regime.
After recounting numerous secrets
of France in the days before and
after the armiStice, including a mill
tary alliance with MuSsolini after
1886 against German aggression
Laval was confronted by M. Poma-
ret, former secretary general of the
Senate.
Angry Murmur in Court.
Pomaret recalled the fateful July
10, 1910, meeting at which three
constitutional acts were passed Civ
ing the marshal full powers. He
said Laval asked him to get the sig
nature of Jules Jeanneney, Senate
president. connecting: This is
where we overthrow the republic"
Judge Paul Mongibeaux, who had
directed numerous hostile questions
at the former Premier, brought
under heavy guard from Fresnes
Prison, asked if he used those words.
Il cannot deny it," Laval said. It
may have pronounced those words,
but only as a joke
An angry murmur arose in the
sultry courtroom, delaying the trial.
Answering a question by Mongi-
beaux, Laval admitted he had said
Il desire a German victory" He
testified that he made the state
ment to make the Germans believe
he was on their side.
Laval will continue his testimony
tomorrow. Guards escorted him
back to his cell when court recessed
at 5:35 pm.
His disclosure about the secret
pact with Italy came early in his
testimony
Denies He Hated England
He denied that he hated Eng
land" He asserted that in the
turbulent '30s, while war was being
spawned, King George V sent Sir
Samuel Hoare, former British For
eign Secretary who is now Lord
Templewood, to Laval ito find a
solution together with me"
He told of a secret conversation
with the Prince of Wales, now Duke
of Windsor, in an effort to solve the
crisis with Italy over Ethiopia.
Laval asserted that the Hoare-
Laval agreement between France
and Britain whereby Mussol!ni
would have gained control of two
thirds of Ethiopia was negotiated
with the full knowledge of Stanley
Baldwin's government. 1n Eng
land, Lord Templewood declined
comment)
Laval eXcoriated the British-Ger
man naval agreement which he said
was executed in controvention of an
agreement with France and without
French knowledge.
Testifies as Court Witness.
| He testified, as witness for the
court, that his celebrated break
with Petain came about because Il
insisted on continuance of the re-
public"
In answer to a question by the
judge about collaboration, Laval
said:
MIR. President, We we're in the
month of October, l940 England
was alone. Russia and the United
/ States were not in the war Who.
! in his right mind, would have
thought otherwise than that Ger
many would win the ware"
A roar of protest through the
courtroom again halted the testi-
mony.
Laval protested that he loved the
republic and shouted passionately
that Il hate war
Tells of Meeting Hitler.
Asked for full statement on cir
cumStanceS of the meeting of Petain
and Hitler at Montoire, Laval said:
1T was controversial subject"
He said he was asked to see Joa.
chin Won Ribbentrop, German for
eign minister, there, and that he did
not want to make decision on his
own responsibility so he went from
Paris to Vichy to report to Petain.
| Il was to go to the German EN-
bassy with suitcase the next day."
related the former premier, who said
an assassin's bullet still was near
his heart. Arriving there I saw a
| lot of uniforms and automobiles 7
asked where we were bound and the
Germans did not tell me.
"The caravan was accompanied by
many guards. Suddenly, Otto Abetz
German envoy to Paris turned to
me and said we would meet not
only Ribbentrop, but Hitler himself.
Il forced Abetz to stop the car.
We had & long talk and I declared
I had to tell Petain. I returned to
Vlcny ana GOlQ retain Gnat Hitler
was waiting to see him in Montoire Z"
Petain Not Forced to Go.
did Petain go willingly?" the
judge asked.
Il don't know how he felt, but I
did not bring him by force" Laval
replied
| He said thev left together for
Mohtoire, where they conferred with
Hitler and Ribbentrop on "conver-
sational generalities-a French dec
laration of war, why not, ETC."
Il have not my documents here,
and / don't remember all the details
by heart" he said. Il remember
having said to Hitler that if France
got a reasonable peace new wars
might be prevented. 4