Retain Joins Up

Shining symbol of French courage and resistance is aged Marshal Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Petain, who not only repelled the Germans at Verdun in 1916 but restored the spirit of victory in the French Forces in the dark days of '17. More than once in the past five troubled years the old man has been talked of as the man to rally a united France. Times had never been worse than they were last week when the legendary defender of France, firm and erect at 83, returned from his Ambassadorship to Spain to become Vice Premier in Paul Reynaud's Cabinet. "He will remain until final victory," announced M. Reynaud. The white-mustached oldster was to act as special military counselor to the Premier.

Fulfilling his promise to change methods and men, the Premier, emulating Georges Clemenceau, the "Old Tiger" who, almost singlehanded, organized victory in the last war, took over supreme civil and military power. To Maxime Weygand, the great Foch's Chief of Staff and "Savior of Warsaw" (1920), he gave supreme command of the Army (see p. 23). Edouard Daladier, who as Minister of Defense since 1936 had worked with supplanted Generalissimo Maurice Gustave Gamelin, became Foreign Minister.

To the vital Ministry of the Interior Premier Reynaud appointed energetic, 54-year-old Georges Mandel, till then Minister of Colonies. This was no new job for the sharp-nosed, stocky little Clemencist, who as the Tiger's chef de cabinet during the last war ran the country's domestic affairs and kept up civilian morale. Born Jeroboam Rothschild, Mandel has often been called France's Disraeli, is a super-politician in a country of politicians, lately showed in the Colonial (and Post Office) Ministry that he had lost none of the drive and administrative flair that made him indispensable to Clemenceau. He was so close to the Premier that the Rabelaisian Tiger once quipped: "Quand je pete, Mandel pue."

To fill Mandel's place at the Ministry of Colonies, the Premier shifted Louis Rollin from the Ministry of Commerce. As new Minister of Commerce he chose Leon Barety, an exponent of closer relations with Italy. To the key post of permanent Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, since 1933 occupied by Alexis Leger ("greatest living diplomat"), Premier Reynaud appointed Frangois Charles-Roux, envoy to the Vatican, an expert on Papal foreign policy.

Paul Reynaud never gave allegiance to the view that an impregnable defense was enough to win a modern war, in 1935 opposed military appropriations on that ground. This, and a creditable record during his eight weeks as Premier, were the best proof that he could find "new methods." With the illustrious Marshal to give advice and confidence, the dynamic Mandel to deal with weakness within, and dictator-wise Edouard Daladier to watch France's interests abroad, Premier Reynaud prepared to concentrate responsibility, rouse the nation from its Maginot psychology, give France decisive leadership for the inevitable counterattack.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.