FRENCH AUTHORITIES HAVING HARD TIME PINPOINTING BLAME FOR HIGH-SPEED CRASH.

Byline: Jeffrey Ulbrich Associated Press 

It is up to investigators to explain why Princess Diana died and decide who, if anybody, is to blame. But a case that looked reasonably solid a week ago seems to be going soft.

Perhaps the only person who really knows what happened early that Sunday morning in a tunnel along the Seine River - bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones - is critically injured and in no condition to talk.

Ten men - nine photographers and a motorcyclist - are under investigation for manslaughter and failure to aid accident victims, a crime in France. The penalties for both are the same: five years in prison and an $83,000 fine.

However, judicial sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, now say the manslaughter probe appears to be a non-starter. Witness accounts are contradictory and there is no clear evidence against anybody.

As a result, investigators are focusing more on the failure of the photographers to come to the aid of the victims. But even there, not all accounts match.

Now, the sources say, lawyers are beginning to look at the question of whether or how much responsibility, either civil or criminal, should be born by the Ritz Hotel. The hotel is owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son, Dodi Fayed, was Diana's companion and died along with her and their driver.

The Ritz provided the rented black Mercedes. The driver, Henri Paul, was a security man employed by the hotel.

Prosecutors say Paul was drunk, and two blood tests indicated he was well above the legal alcohol limit.

Three important families have joined the case as civil parties, which would allow them access to documents in the case: the Al Fayed family, Paul's family, and the Spencer family.

The families have made it clear who they think is to blame - the paparazzi who, in the eyes of some, are little more than swarming savages prepared to go to any length for a sensational picture.

Some of the photographers say Paul bears the responsibility, claiming he was traveling at recklessly high speed.

Others say ultimate blame rests with Dodi Fayed. They maintain that even if the car was being pursued by photographers, he should not have allowed Paul to race at speeds estimated as high as 121 mph in a 30 mph zone, or have allowed him to drive if he was intoxicated.

But Diana, Fayed and Paul are all dead.

Doctors have said Rees-Jones' injuries, particularly to his face, could prevent him for talking for weeks. The Observer newspaper reported that Rees-Jones spoke briefly to his mother and stepfather. The London newspaper's report could not be confirmed Sunday, however.

Police may try a written interrogation.

If Princess Diana were not involved, two traffic cops would be typing up a routine accident report in quadruplicate and dropping it into the in-box of a police department bureaucrat. End of story.

Instead, the case quickly was handed to the elite ``Brigade Criminelle,'' which usually handles only the biggest, toughest criminal investigations. The unit is known for its bulldozer tactics and ability to get things done.

Investigators are spending hundreds of hours sifting through evidence, scrutinizing witness reports and interrogating the nine photographers and one press motorcyclist under official investigation.

Critical aspects remain under scrutiny:

Speed: Various reports have the car traveling anywhere up to 121 mph.

Alcohol: One test indicated Paul had 1.75 grams of alcohol per liter of blood - more than three times the legal limit of 0.5 grams per liter of blood. The second test showed 1.82 grams per liter, equivalent to drinking 10 shots of whiskey in rapid succession. A third was conducted Friday; results were pending.

The chase: How closely did photographers follow Diana's car? Did a car in front of the speeding Mercedes hinder it, as some witnesses have said? Did a motorcycle swerve in front of Diana's car and a flash go off, possibly from a camera, as another witness says?

The scene: Did the photographers try to help the victims? Did they hinder police and rescuers?

Given the gravity of the case and the number of people involved, it could be months - rather than the usual days - before the two investigating magistrates decide whether to bring formal charges and turn the case over for trial.