Nine3t Renault Pon Supplying Aid to Germans
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NINE3T RENAULT PON SUPPLYING AID TO GERMANS Paris, Sept. 25.-tBUP)-News-I papers reported to-day that indus- trialist Louis Renault was arrested' ,Saturday and taken to the Palais ; de Justice on charges of "com- merce with the enemy," including having manufactured and sold to Germany between 1940 and 7.943 some 6,185,000,000 francs' worth of materials. Renault's counsel, Maurice Ribet, pleaded- that some time before the Franco-German armistice in June, 1940, Renault went to the United States to study construction of tanks. "It was there I learned of our defeat, and when I returned my 'factories already were in the hands of the Germans," Renault pleaded. "As War Minister Gen. Maxim E. Weygand had given industrialists orders to continue production I obeyed, believing I would thus spare numbers of French workers from forced labour in Germany and furthermore would prevent the enemy from laying hands on our materials." Held With Director French newspapers for some time have been demanding Ren- 'hult's arrest and Saturday morning it was erroneously reported that he had fled to Spain. Renault is in Fresnes prison out- side Paris, together with the direc- tor-general of his factories, De Per- recage, who faces similar charges. Others remanded on similar charges included bhe banker Worms, industrialist Gabriel Leroy- Ladurie, tooth charged with, the manufacture of submarines, and three leading directors of the French petroleum combine and the Bank of France and the Nether- lands. Morning newspapers report more than 250 cases of alleged economic collaboration with the enemy now under examination by the courts in connection with more than 30 arrests already made. Arrest Former Secretary According to reports from Lyon, Maud Champetier de Ribes-lead- ing Vichyite militiawoman and mistress of Lyon militia chief ~ Agonstini--was court-martialed and executed. The arrest of dormer Vichy Sec- retary of State Jacques Benoist- Mechin and Gol. Georges Lelong, militiaman who was appointed bY the Vichy Government to direct operations against the Maquis in the haute Savoie mountains sev- eral months ago, also was reported in to-day's papers . ...- . .~, ._ . ~ 1a.. ...,.a.