2 JANUARY 1942, Page 4

An interesting verdict has just been passed by Occupied France

on Marshal Petain. At the instigation of the Minister of the Interior at Vichy every commune was invited to purchase for the very modest figure of 25o francs a portrait of the Marshal to hang in the Hotel de Ville or Mairie. Such expenditure, it appears, has to be authorised by the prefects, but in this case a block-authorisation was given in advance. There are 23,000 communes in Occupied France. Of these Boo decided to make the purchase ; the rest declined. The returns for the unoccupied territory have not reached me. * * * *