Hubert LYAUTEY (1854-1934). L.A.S. (minute), August 10, 1925 - Lot 581

Hubert LYAUTEY (1854-1934). L.A.S. (minute), August 10, 1925, to General Joseph Georges; 7 1/2 pages in-8 on his letterhead Le Maréchal Lyautey Résident Général au Maroc, pencil corrections. Important letter about Marshal Pétain (Georges was Pétain's chief of staff). Lyautey writes to his "dear friend" Pétain to draw his attention to an article in Aux Écoutes "reporting remarks by Painlevé, which, if true, deeply displeased me. I don't accept being called 'dying' and replaced". He only envisaged Pétain's arrival to replace him during a short stay in Paris for health reasons; but he's better now and no longer needs to go to Paris: "if they want to sack me, they'll sack me, but I won't do it myself, not out of ego hypertrophy, but because I see more consciously than ever that the solution to the Abd el Krim question hinges on my presence in Morocco and my attentive action. I am therefore obeying an interest of national duty. If the Government or the General Staff deem otherwise, it is up to them to carry me out"... He would like Pétain to come, as he "can only give me the greatest support and comfort", but "I would like Marshal P. to realize this time that I am clearly back in the saddle, that I am in command"... We enclose 2 L.A.S. from General Georges to Lyautey, July 4-August 6, 1925 (4p. in-8): he saw Painlevé, who "perfectly understood the necessity, for the country and for you, to keep a Command-in-Chief, who could give to the operations a general direction in accordance with the political situation"... Marshal Pétain persists in his point of view and envisages in two weeks his return to Morocco... Provenance: Lyautey archives (Drouot sale November 30 1981, nos. 11 and 10).