FATEFUL DAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 21, 25 July 1945, Page 7

FATEFUL DAYS

French Armistice

EVIDENCE AT TRIAL

OF PETAIN

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright)

Kec. 11 a.m.

LONDON, July 24,

When the trial of Marshal Petain on charges of treason against France was resumed in Paris, M. Paul Reynaud, who was Prime Minister of France at the time of the French capitulation, resumed the indictment of the Marshal,that he began at the first session. He referred again to the efforts made by Mr. Churchill on those fateful days when France was on the brink, when the British Prime Minister flew to see him at Tours.

"The Franco-British union proposed by Mr. Churchill in' June, 1940, was a generous offer, and we will have to do this some day, whatever critics may say," declared M. Reynaud.

M. Reynaud recalled the important meeting of the French Cabinet at Bordeaux on June 15, 1940, at which he said he was not against an order to cease fire but that he was opposed to demands for an armistice. He said that he met fierce opposition from Petain and Weygand. M. Chautemps favoured asking the Germans for terms, but the witness wanted to leave for Africa.

"I took a piece of paper and divided it into two," he said. "I wrote on one side the names of those who favoured M. Chautemps's proposition and on the other the names of those who favoured my proposal. If I recall correctly, there were 13 names in support of M. Chautemps and six in favour of me." M. Reynaud said that military surrender involving the French troops in France and national surrender involv-

ing the French Empire were two different things. He had intended to avoid formal surrender, while moving the Government to North Africa and continuing the war from there. The witness said he had the grievous mission of informing the British that a majority in the Cabinet favoured asking for the enemy's conditions. He was then left with no choice except to resign after President Lebrun had asked -him to enforce the .Cabinet majority's policy, and he had refused. Next day he received the British union, offer. The British liaison officer, Major-General Spears, also withdrew Britain's limited permission for an armistice. M. Chautemps opposed the offer on the ground that he did not want to see France become a British Dominion.

OVERAWED BY ENEMY MIGHT,

M. Reynaud said that the French Ministers were overawed by the tremendous German military force rolling south towards them. President 'Hoosevelt had sent Marshal Petain an. "extremely strong" message -warning him that he risked losing the friendship of-the American Government and people, this depending on the armistice terms he accepted from Germany. While the armistice terms continued to be discussed, said witness, he argued with Petain and Darlan about. the future of the French fleet. Darlan said he would rather put the fleet to sea 'than deliver it to the Germans, but later he would only say that he would see that the fleet did not fall into German hands. Darlan ordered the commander of the fleet to sink his ships rather than let the Germans get them. Witness immediately informed Mr. Churchill of this order, but Mr. Churchill had i>o faith in Darlan's word and the result was the engagement between the British and French fleets at Oran.