Show Laval Says Petain Tried to Aid Allies p PARIS A I Aug 4 UP Pierre UP-Pierre Pierre Laval testified Saturday that he refused to sign a military alliance with Germany the day the allies land landed d in north noth Africa and that Marshal Henri Philippe Petain repeatedly instructed French African troops to aid the allied invasion Laval Lava testifying in the treason trial of Petain said that formal orders h had d b been en issued to tc o French fu north north Af Africa Africa Af- Af f- f rica as one of the terms o of the armistice armistic with Germany Germany t y to to re regist rep resist re- re slat gist any Aggression from froni any quarter quarter British British American or Germany Despite these orders Laval said Baid ho could vouch for Cor the fact that Petain told the French commanders command command- ers rs to aid the allied landings All the generals In Africa he noted went over to the side of the allies alUes Laval also claimed sonic some credit for the scuttling of ot the French rench fleet at Toulon He said ho was awakened awal at 40 10 a. a m. m by the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans who told him they had entered entered entered en en- Toulon and were boarding the French warships Phoned Toulon He said he telephoned Toulon Touton and found that the warships were being scuttled I If we had been In coll collusion sion with the Germans he said dont you think they would have been able to get these ships Laval claimed he had saved the lives of at Leon Blum Edouard Da Da- ladler Paul Reynaud and Gen Maurice Gamelin when ho he heard they were to bo handed over to the Germans to be shot as a re reprIsal reprisal reprisal re- re for the execution at Algiers Al Al- giers girs of the notorious Pierre Pu- Pu cheu minister of interior In the Vichy regime Laval said that Blum Blumn Gamelin and nd other leading Frenchmen Frenchmen Frenchmen French French- men were taken to Germany be because because because be- be cause the Germans demanded themI themI them I asked the Germans If It they were afraid they were not beIn being being be be- In ing properly guarded Lava Laval said The liThe Germans replied only Its an order I He said said that French govern- govern See Page rage 2 Column 2 PETAIN PETAIN TRIAL Continued from P FAge g One ment authority was practically nonexistent at that time r lUlling KUHn Tragic He called the killing kUling of ot Georges Mandel former Interior minister tragic tra c He was wa my dear friend of many years Laval said ABas Assassination ina- ina tion Uon 1 la Is something I do not go in for The emaciated Laval Lava wearIng a a. plain gray pinstripe suit sult and clutching a battered felt hat was brought in at the last lat moment through a a. subterranean p passage Elaborate precautions again were ere taken to 19 prevent any attempt on his life lite As soon oon as Laval was on the stand Judge Pierre prodded him about his statement of or Friday that at he had hoped for tor bra a 8 aGerman German Gennan victory He fired back by quoting Petain as saying la ing In a Vichy speech that they had ad patched up their difference differences differ differ- ence and we will win go forward hand handin J in hand I I I Ill I went to the Hotel du Pare Parc government headquarters In Vichy on pet Oct 2 24 1040 and saw Petain ho he hD saId laId Apparently he had been told that I had seen Hitler Hitler Hit Hit- ler at Montoire Laval te testified tIled Friday about the Montoire meeting at which Hitler Petain Laval Lava and German Foreign Minister Joachim von conferred He agreed to come with me next day dy for the full conference after Laval's preliminary feelers and asked Paul Baudoin to accompany accompany accompany pany him I told him Hitler had requested a a. personal Interview Several days later at a meeting of the tho legion o of French Trench volunteers he said he attended at- at tended ended a a. dinner at which I said aid My difference with Laval has been fixed up We Ve will go forward forward forward for for- forI I ward hand in hand Menaced by Pollee Police Laval Lava said that on the day he was arrested in December 1940 a a. group of security police poUce who were former menaced his ils assistants assistant Did Petain know of these po- po lice Ice 1 asked I I do not noto know Laval Lava an- an I III 1 never saw him with them hem r rHe He spoke of official annoyance In In n high Vichy quarters over Pe Pe- tams ain's alleged failure to delete the phrase I hope for tor German vIctory vie vIc tory ory from a a. radio speech Laval had prepared and submitted to the marshal in advance Yesterday Petain said he told yo you to take the phrase out of ot the speech a a. Juror Interrupted I I 1 have nothing to say different from rom what I said yesterday Laval Lava replied Wo We took out the words I I believe In German victory and left eft In the tho phrase hope for U U. S. S Friendship Laval Lava went into inlo a discussion of Vichy friendship for the United States He told of ot a talk he had with U. U S. S Ambassador William Leahy now President Truman's chief of ot staff Just before Leahy left France at the time of his wife's death He Ho came to say good good-by and Md I saw him a long time In the presence presence pres pre ence of ot Pinckney Tuck the American Ameri Artier can charge and Charles Rocha the chef de cabinet cabinet- Laval said saidI I Ul explained to him exactly my political position in about the same lame terms erms as in the radio speech of June 22 about which you are questioning questioning questioning ques ques- me Appears Tired Laval looked much more tired Saturday and frequently took more time to answer questions Petain sat dozing In his chair paying paying pay pay- ing Irig little attention to the the mony Turning to the thesis he expounded cx- cx pounded repeatedly Friday Laval said France was in no position to resist nazi extortions This country found itself in a position of ot absolute impossibility I of living if the government did not I negotiate with the Germans he said Besides we had to deal with I both the tho occupied and free zones I You remember the mass exodus to southern France Franco at the time Our first Job was to get the people back home again In October we had unemployed and later In view of ot such unemployment France had to n ne negotiate ne- ne with the Germans They undoubtedly knew the situation meant strangulation of France Wo We Vo had the Germans at our throats and the tho allied ailed blockade to toU toa todeal U a deal with at the same time Without Without Without With With- out German Germ aid it was impossible to assure even minimum living conditions |