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THE COMMUNIST CAMPAIGN
Deputy Jacques Doriot hears testimony from the investigating judge
It will be recalled that on June 12th, the police arrested two women in flagrante delicto distributing communist leaflets on Rue Ménars. One of them was Miss Marie Raffinot, sister-in-law of the communist deputy Jacques Doriot.
As she had given her home address as 183 Avenue du Général-Michel-Bizot, and as the offense was flagrant, the inspectors went there immediately and conducted a search. In a briefcase, they found, in addition to several reproductions of Mr. Vatin-Pérignon's letter, which, reprinted by L'Humanité, is the subject of a complaint filed by Mr. Pierre Lyautey, a number of documents concerning our military action in Morocco, including several original service telegrams. All these documents having been forwarded to the public prosecutor, Judge Maillefaud, already charged with investigating Mr. Pierre Lyautey's complaint, was seized with a new indictment against unknown persons for theft of documents. Mr. Maillefaud had summoned Deputy Doriot, Mrs. Doriot, and Miss Marie Raffinot yesterday to receive their statements.
After protesting against the warrantless search of his home, a search he considers illegal, as it was carried out without his presence, Mr. Doriot acknowledged that the documents found in his briefcase, which were presented to him, did indeed belong to him.
Who did they get them from? The Communist deputy left the judge's question unanswered. Could he, in truth, tell him the source of the documentation? He therefore merely stated that he could not provide details of its origin. As for Mr. Vatin-Pérignon's letter, the misappropriation of which is the subject of investigations by the police and the postal administration, Mr. Jacques Doriot told the judge that this letter, the original of which is still in his possession, reached him in his mail at L'Humanité, in a sealed but unstamped envelope. He therefore claims to be unaware of who brought this document to him.
Questioned in turn by the magistrate, Ms. Doriot and Ms. Marie Raffinot claimed to be unable to provide any information.
Before leaving the court, Mr. Doriot appeared before Mr. Jousselin, senior investigating judge, who questioned him in accordance with a letter rogatory he received from the Brive prosecutor's office. This concerns proceedings against a railway worker from the French overseas territory named Causserat, accused of inciting soldiers to disobedience. The judge in charge wanted to know whether Mr. Jacques Doriot had taught certain courses to Communist Party activists.
Mr. Doriot had no difficulty in stating that this was true.
LEON PERIGAUD.
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