ALLIED LEADERS (24): M. Cesar Campinchi

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 47, 17 May 1940, Page 2

ALLIED LEADERS (24): M. Cesar Campinchi

ONSIEUR César Napoleon NM is France’s Minister of Marine, and one of the firiest members of the French War Ministry. His Christian names happen to suit him, and the French, quick to seize a point, have called him the Winston Churchill of France _-

Monsieur Campinchi is leader of the Radicals and one of the best criminal lawyers in Paris. During the Reichstag Fire Trial, he offered to defend the Bulgarian Communist, Dimitroff. In 1935, he fought a duel with the editor of a paper which had attacked him, and was struck in the arm by his adversary’s bullet. For many years, Monsieur Campinchi has fought to increase the efficiency of the French Navy. He has been Minister of Marine in four Cabinets — those of Chautemps, Blum, Daladier, and Reynaud. When he was attacked recently, he replied that his navy had not lost one ship since the outbreak of war; that it had escorted 2000 merchantmen with the loss of only four ships; that it had helped to convoy Canadian troops, French colonial troops, Australian, New Zealand and Indian Divisions without the loss of a single man er one piece of equipment; and that it had sunk a U-boat for every cargo boat destroyed by submarines. He announced, also, the launching of the Jean Bart, a new 35,000 tons battleship, mounting eight 15-in. guns, and carrying four aircraft. Monsieur Campinchi was born in Corsica, and, like most of the French Ministers, lives in Paris close beside the offices of his department.