The Wilmington morning star., 1945-07-21
CIANO'S DIARY
1111111
@Filthy Frenchman Laval Sells
Out His Country To Adolf Hitler

downright ls45, for the Star-News and
rhs chicago Daily News. Inc. All rights
r.served for all countries, including rleh
of translation)
NOV 9-DEC. "a, 1912. Dicta-
tor Laval of Vichy France, now
held in Spain, sold out his country
with hardly a protest in the frantic
DAVIS that followed American land
ings in North Africa. sccording to
tho diaries of Count Ciano, Musso'
lini's son-in-laW.
The orders that wiped out The de-
marcat on line which had existed
since Frances surrender to t h e
Germans in 1910 were given by Hit
ller without Lavars knowledge as
the onetime French butcher-boy
sat in a room adjoining the F>ueh-
rer's quarters and Smoked and
talked" Even Ciano referred to
Laval as that filthy French
man.
The Pope, in Rome, was con.
cerned about possible bomblngs OF
Rome, a blow that was struck SIX
months later by an all-American
force. Mussolini, the diary shows,
had agreed to remove the la an
comm and until he learned that
Great Britain was demanding the
evacuation of the entire Italian gov
eminent, King and all.
For most of this crucial period
II Duce was nursing his recurring
ulcers. growing thinner, and con-
cerned because the Germans might
learn that the great man" was
compelled to live on rice and mix.
The Germans for their part were
trying to blame the Red Army
break-through at Stalingrad on the
Italian forces in the line.
Ciano wrote:
NOV 9-"During the night Vor
Ribbentrop telephoned. Either II
Duce or l must 60 to Munich al
once. L have my first conversa'
: tons with Hitler this same eve
ming. He has no illusions about the
French desire to fight. We mus
make our decisions before it is toe
late.
''Hitler will listen to Laval (Vlchy
French dictator), but nothing he
sways will change the Fuehrer'
view. Total occupation Of France
l A landing in Corsica. A bridgeheae
: in Tunisia. Hitler is neither ner
4 vous nor restless. He does not I'm
e derrate the American initiative.
l Goering says the occupation o
: North Africa is the first point scor
;, ed by the Allies since the beginnin,
> of the war.
The decision has been taken t
S move, particularly since the posi-
u ton of Adm. Darlan at Algiers j
j ambiguous A conference wit
Laval is superfluous =.
:. Editors Note: Adm. Darlan
Il former No. 2 man in the Vich,
Il government and commander o
n French military forces in N or t
q Africa, was captured" in Algier
e Nov. 8. Still insisting his authorit,
) came from Marshal Petain il
Z France, Darlan. took over full re
: sponsibility for French interests il
Africa Nov. 13 with the approva
of U. S. Army commanders ant
e President Roosevelt. Darlan wa
: assassinated Dec. a.
j. Laval, with his white tie n
:. middle class French peasant at
- tire, is out of place in the great Sd
: lon among so many uniforms. HI
tries to speak Familiarity Of his trip
;, but his words go UNDECIDED. Hitle,
y treats him with 1rigid courtesy.
. The Fuehrer asks if France will
provide us landing places in Tu
! nisia. Laval, like good French
:, man, would like to argue, and tt
obtain some reassurances from tia
= ly. Hitler firmly declares he ha
= no intention of discussing Italian
- claims, which are more than mod
. est. Laval will not take responsi
a bility on himself for yielding Tuni
= and Bizerte to the Axis. Hitler ad
- vises him. to accept. the accomplish
~ ed fact of occupation, and inform
h Vichy by note.
LAVAL KEPT IN DARK
II ON OCCUPATION
l. mo word was said to Laws
m about the impending action i
lie France, or that orders to occup
IS all of the country were given Will
Laval was in the ado ming room
i'd smoking and talking. Won Rubber
s. trop told me he will inform Lava
Y, at 8 o'clock in the morning ths
n Hitler has been obliged to procee
J. with the occupation of all of Franc
l. NOV. l2-'The march of t n
: Italo-German troops is proceedin
. in France, and in Corsica. with
II out meeting res stance. Only tn
u French Navy has indicated it wi
remain loyal to vichy and that
u does not want occupation by tn
v Axis of Toulon (naval base i
southern Franco.
y "Rommel continues to withdra,
~ at breakneck speed in Libya. Their
y, is friction between Italian
~ German troops. At Halfaya (pas:
~ on the Libyan-Egyptian border
'e there was even shooting. becaus
" the Germans took all our truck: