MAGINOT ANDRÉ: (1877-1932)

MAGINOT ANDRÉ: (1877-1932)

MAGINOT ANDRÉ: (1877-1932) French Minister of war 1929-32. Former soldier, Maginot is best known for his advocacy of the string of forts known as the “Maginot Line”. A very fine and clean A.L.S., `Maginot´, two pages, 8vo, Paris, 17<sup>th</sup> December 1928, bearing the embossed printed heading of the Minister of the Colonies, to a Marshal, in French. Maginot responds openly to his correspondent and friend´s request, stating in part `Je ne dispose que de trois gouvernements généraux en Afrique et d´un en Indochine. Ils sont actuellement pourvus. Quel que soit mon désir de faciliter ta tâche, et tu sais qu´il est grand, je n´ai donc Je n'ai donc pas la possibilité de nommer M. Cayla pour le moment, à un poste de gouverneur-général…´ (Translation: `I only have three general governments in Africa and one in Indochina. They are currently covered. Whatever my desire to facilitate your task is, and you know it is great, I do not have the possibility of appointing Mr. Cayla for the moment, to a post of Governor-General…´) Nonetheless Maginot promises to keep his request in mind, saying `Tu sais que j´ai toujours, lorsque je l´ai pu, appuyé les demandes faites par toi en faveur de tes collaborateurs, mais cette fois ta demande exceed mes moyens. Tout ce que je puis te promettre, et c´est quelque chose, puisque Mr. Cayla n´est encore que gouverneur de 2eme classe, c´est que lorsqu´une vacante se produira dans le cadre des gouverneurs souverains, je tiendrai le plus grand compte de ton intervention´ (Translation: `You know that I have always, when I could, supported the requests made by you in favour of your collaborators, but this time your request exceeds my means. All I can promise you, and it is something to consider, since Mr. Cayla is still only 2nd class governor, is that when a vacancy occurs within the framework of the sovereign governors, I will hold the greatest account of your intervention´) Before concluding, Maginot sends a personal message to his friend, stating `A ma place tu ferais la même réponse, même au meilleur de tes amis…´ (Translation: `If you were in my place you would give the same answer, even to the best of your friends …´) With blank integral leaf. EX

 

Léon Cayla (1881-1965) will become Governor-General of Madagascar a year and a half after the present letter was written.