PETAIN AS DICTATOR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1940, Page 5

PETAIN AS DICTATOR

ASSUMPTION OF SWEEPING POWERS LAVAL TO BE ULTIMATE SUCCESSOR. PERSONNEL OF THE NEW - CABINET. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright! LONDON, July 13. Under the new Constitution promulgated yesterday Marshal Petain has taken sweeping powers under the title of Chief of the State. President Lebrun concurred in the decision by Marshal Petain to take over the presidency, combining it with the premiership. M. Lebrun placed his services at Marshal Petain’s disposal “with complete disinterestedness.” The entire Cabinet handed in their resignations, and by decree the Chief of the State appointed a new Council of Ministers with M. Laval Vice-Premier. He also decreed that M. Laval shall y be his ultimate successor, but that in the event of .M. Laval being unavailable the successor shall be chosen by a majority vote of the Council of Ministers. The Government issued a communique from Vichy declaring that Marshal Petain would not transfer the seat of Government to Paris unless he received “all necessary guarantees assuring it complete independence.” The new Minister of Education has ordered the arrest of all officials of his department who abandoned their posts during the hostilities. A decree issued at Vichy appoints the following Council of Ministers:— M. Laval, Vice-Premier. M. Baudouin, Foreign Affairs. M. Boutillier, Finance. General Weygand, Defence. General Colson, War. Admiral Darlan, Navy. General Pujo, Aviation. M. Raphael Albert, Justice. M. Emile Mireux, Public Instruction. M. Ybarne Garay, Youth and Family. M. Pierre Caziot, Agriculture. M. Francois Peitri, Communications. M. Henri Lemery, Colonies. Because Marshal Petain has full powers in respect to national defence. Admiral Darlan and General Pujo and General Colson will not be full Ministers but Secretaries of State “in charge” of their departments.

The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will remain until new assemblies have been formed, but they will be convened at Marshal Petain’s pleasure. The anniversary of the capture of the Bastille on July 14 is usually France’s great annual fete, but this year it has been proclaimed a day of national meditation. BACK TO OLD ORDER POLICY OF RETROGRESSION. LONDON, July 13. Recently commentators in London have mentioned General Weygand, M. Laval and M. Marquet as the probable triumvirate in the French Government. In the course of a talk on what the new Constitution means to the French people, a commentator said that in some ways it is just the old regime of pre-revolutionary France being brought back. The old Bourbon system of provinces, under which France was governed till the clays of Napoleon, was to be restored. The Republican system of departments, each headed by a prefect, was to be set aside. The now order would weaken and divide France. THOUSANDS ARRESTED EARLY RESULTS OF NAZI PROTECTION. LONDON, July 13. The “Sunday Times” says arrests in occupied France have resulted in the imprisonment of 17,000 people. The decision of Marshal Petain and his supporters to place themselves under German protection at Versailles shows that they are aware of a storm among the French people, who are realising what the armistice means. FRANCE & U.S.A. COMMUNICATIONS VIRTUALLY CUT OFF. MADRID, July 13. The United States Ambassador to France. Mr Bullitt, has arrived. He said that communication between Vichy and the United States is virtually impossible. Press messages to America are often three weeks in transmission, and sometimes they do not arrive at all. READY TO FIGHT FORCE OF FREE FRENCHMEN. DE GAULLE DENOUNCES DOTARDS & TRAITORS. LONDON, July 14. General de Gaulle, in a broadcast said:—“France has a considerable military force able to fight at any moment on land, sea, and in the air. French youth of magnificent quality continues to rally to us. They are dotards or traitors who claim that France can exist under the German and Italian heel, and i who declare that the war is hope- 1 less. “July 14 is a day of mourning, but also a day of dawning hope. Victory will be ours, and will be won with the air of France in arms." TOULON EVACUATION FEARS OF BRITISH NAVAL ATTACK. MARSEILLES. July 13. The authorities have completed the evacuation of certain zones of the naval base of Toulon in view of the possibility of a British naval attack. FOOD STOCKS SEIZURES BY THE GERMANS IN FRANCE. MADRID. July 13. According to the Spanish radio, the Germans arc satisfied with their material gains in occupied France, where

they have found enormous quantities of flour, potatoes and vegetables. The announcer added that, there had been a wave of arrests of journalists, politicians and officials of the foimer Government. FRENCH SOLDIERS ASSEMBLY IN LONDON. EXCHANGE OF FRIENDLY GREETINGS. (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. Several thousand Londoners shouted: “Vive la France!’ while French soldiers and other cried: “Vive L’Angleterre!” in Whitehall. Drawn up before the Cenotaph were French Foreign Legionaries, members of the Air Force, the Marines and others. Bugles sounded and then, amid silence, General De Gaulle laid a wreath and called out: “Vive L’Angleterre! Vive la France!” The crowd echoed the words and cheered. A similar ceremony occurred before the statue of Marshal Foch, close to Victoria Station, where a double row of high officers awaited General De Gaulle. Many of the French colony in London and refugees were present. A young Frenchwoman broke the cordon after the ceremony and laid a wreath inscribed: “The True France.” Mr Winston Churchill, in a message to General De Gaulle, said: “On the anniversary of one of the greatest days in French history I take the opportunity of expressing my sympathy for the French people in the hour of their misfortune and my gratitude to those who have decided to continue the struggle on the side of their allies. I look forward with confidence to a lime, not far distant, when July 14 will again be celebrated as a day of rejoicing by a free and victorious France." FRENCH CITIZENS NOT ALLOWED TO RE-ENTER OCCUPIED ZONE. UNTIL ARMISTICE COMMISSION GIVES PERMISSION. (Received This Day. 10.10 a.m.) VICHY. July 14. The German authorities have forbidden French citizens to re-enter the occupied zone till the Armistice Commission has studied the question.