PETAIN & HITLER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1940, Page 5

PETAIN & HITLER

AGREEMENT REPORTED RECONSTRUCTION OF PEACE IN EUROPE” LAVAL AS FOREIGN MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 26. After a meeting .of the French Cabinet at Vichy, when statements by Marshal Petain and M. Laval were officially endorsed, it was officially announced that Marshal Petain and Hitler had "agreed on the principle of collaboration for the reconstruction of the peace of Europe and the method was being applied. The agreement would be examined later.

The Associated Press of America’s Vichy correspondent disclosed that Hitler greeted Marshal Petain before their talks as follows: “I know you did not want war. I regret meeting under these circumstances.” The British United Press understands that France’s collaboration with Germany will be political, diplomatic and n on-military. It was announced that M. Baudouin had resigned the portfolio of Foreign Minister. M. Laval succeeds him. Referring to the agreement between France and Germany, a London commentator describes it as an agreement in principle. It is an agreement to agree, but is still very far from an agreement to act in agreement. Though Mr. Cordell Hull, United States - Secretary of State, made no direct reference to Vichy in a broadcast in which he reviewed world oevelopments, there is every tendency to link his statement with what has been happening in Europe. Mr. Hull said unmistakably that the United States would not recognise any new world order brought about by Germany.