TENSION EASES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 14 September 1940, Page 8

TENSION EASES.

THE FRENCH INDIES

MEN AND SHIPS DEMOBILISED

(By CARLOS J. VIDELA.) ST. THOMAS (Virgin Islands)

August 20.

Tlie veil of mystery covering t!ie Anglo-French tension at Martinique and Guadeloupe, which almost resulted in a repetition in Western Hemisphere waters of the Battle of Oran, filially lias been withdrawn with the arrival on this American Island of the first of a group of demobilised French soldiers, who are going to San Juan, Puerto liico, thence to New York, on the steamers Coamo and Cherokee.

Governor Breesolles of Martinique, Governor Sorin of Guadeloupe and Admiral Robert, High Commtefcioncr of Guadeloupe and Martinique, have reached a working agreement with the British Governor of Trinidad, Sir Hubert I Young, and the Admiral in command of j the Caribbean Fleet based at Bermuda, whereby the French aircraft carrier: Beam and the cruiser Emile Bcrtin, now at Fort-Do-France, Martinique, and tho training-cruiser Jeanne D'Arc, anchored at Guadeloupe, will be practically disarmed.

Gold From Bank of France. The huge sum of gold, estimated at -•iO million dollars flc.nt by the Bank of Franco, before tlic flooding of the subterranean chambers of its main ofliee in Parie, lias been landed from the Kmile iiertin for deposit at Fort St. Louis in Fort de France, where it is guarded day and night by a detail of Martinicau soldiers, armed with rifles and machineguns.

A military force, composed of Frenchmen from the United States, Mexico and the Antilles, lias bftcn demobilised and sent home ill a roundabout way. Among the group of Frenchmen returliinz to the United States are MX Xcw York iwidents. They are. Richard Le Coinie, l'ierro Zacharie, Fugene Lebert, Andre Davi, Gaston Matifas and Gabriel Compers. These Frenclime-u from the America* who had had military training, were sent to France immediately! the rest were transported to several improvised camps in Martinique. The reservist* from tlie United States, Mexico and the Antilles were placed in charge «>f a •eeowl lieutenant, who came from Mexico. They numbered about 300. I The. conditions at the camps were Icicribed as "terrible." The barrack* ad been hastily slapped together, nnd ■he men had to shv-p on bamboo bed* iind thin mattresses, while vermin and n:i>nqtiit(,ps hail a Held day. The fnful

'• extremely had for tln<M> men h.-. iis•med to American standard*. Confusion Follows Collapse. Hie training of t!n\ soldiers was pn> •■•'ling with eiwtomnry routine under ■ rigorous climate when the co'lji ji*-:- o. •ranee threw everything into confusion. 1 lion the ships arrived. The aircraft rrier Beam, which had nl>oiir<l t" 1 1 eneh pianos, besides 100 Anicrienu-made an " > loaded at a Canadian port, vether with Canadian Air Force pilot*, '"feetied iirst to l.rcat Ilritai.i, then Bordeaux, next to Casa Blanca. and t iin.i ily to fort do Franco. | The eruifcr Emi'e Bertin at me next, | and with her arrival came, a British ■ naval force to blockade that harbour, j Corapers was detailed with Martinlean natives to unload gold from the cruiser. There were, Compcrs said, "at lon6t 100 filers 0/ gold bnrs," phis a I dozen small sacks containing coin, all of j which Was transferred carefullv to Fort •St. lyCuis, one of the fortresses in Fort- ! de-France. j The commander of the Emilc Bertin . wanted to return to France, followin" i orders received from the French Admiralty, and this almost caused a conllag- : ration. Governor Hressoles came aboard tlio Bertin. lie and the commander had a sharp exchange of words. Finally the commander tore oir his epaulets' and threw them down on the table and 1 shouted that he was through taking' orders from the local authorities. After the Governor went ashore the commander ordered that evervthing be made ready to leave. Outside' the liarhour hovered a British division which, the returning Frenchmen said, was composed "of one large ship, which looked like, the Bcnown," a couple of cruisers and several destrovcrs.

Anglo-French Negotiations. | The British admiral sent word that. tho Bertin had letter not try to leave j the harbour. The Bertin was cleared 1 for action, and the commander said he I was leaving at midnight, no matter I what happened.

Finally, the saner counsel of brother officers prevailed, and the orders were countermanded.

The Jeanne D'Arc had left a few days before and anchored at Guadeloupe. For a moment that seemed to put the quietus on tho situation, but the negotiations were protracted. The Governor of Trinidad (lew to Fort-de-Franee and tried to conic to an understanding with Governor Bressoles, who kept, in constant touch with Governor Sorin, Admiral Robert and, presumably, with the French Embassy in Washington. ]

Sir Hubert's first attempt was unsuccessful, probably duo. to a division of opinion between the Governors and naval commands. A lJritish cruiser steamed up and down along a line close to the 6hore in the vicinity of I'ort de-France in order to prevent tlie departure of French units, while civilians and soldiers watched from the hills this ship, Fairo La Centinclle.

When further conversations showed that progress was being made the Brit ish Fa ire la Centinelle withdrew, and its place was taken, farther oil shore and almost out of sight, by several destroyers.

A few merchantmen came to Fort-dc-I ranee in the interval, bringing supplies after pasting tlie contraband control examination by the British. Such was the situation until finally it was apparently settled through the present modus Vivendi. "Not Under the Thumb of Britain." War and blockade worked havoc with trade in the Frcnch possessions in tlie West Indies. Sugar, which is the main export product and formerly was sent almost totally to Franco, now is piled high in warehouses, while the growers wonder what to do since it is next to impossible to dispose of it in the United States because of the high tariff and lack of distribution facilities. Three weeks ago an order came to demobilise the soldiers. The task of sending them home was accomplished verv slowly in face of manifold difficulties. A batch, which came to St. Thomas, had n regular Caribbean cruise aboard u ship that took them first to Cayenne, then to I'rogreso, Mexico; then Port an Prince, Haiti. The ship was overcrowded and the men wore forced to sleep on improvised bunks set up in tiers in tho holds. Despite the lack of comforts suffered while in the training camps the French soldiers to a man declared they wcro ready to fight for France at any time, "but not under the thumb of Britain." All asserted that the population of the French possessions in the West Indies feels overwhelmingly the same way. It admires General Charles dc Gaulle] hilt disapproves of his attitude toward tlie French Government. "Franco will give tho Bodies the final blow," the soldiers said.— (N.A.X.A.)