PETAIN AND BRITAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 201, 19 August 1940, Page 3

PETAIN AND BRITAIN

TRIED TO ABANDON ALLIES AND RETIRE ON PARIS IN 1918 Betrayal of the Allied cause in exactly" the same way as he did in 1940 was nearly accomplished by Marshal Petain in 1918,, when he wanted to leave the British Armies at the mercy of the advancing Germans, and withdraw his own troops towards Paris. His intended move had an almost exact parallel in the tragic days of last June, when Petain ordered the French forces away from the British. In a letter from Lieutenant-Col-onel H. K. Kippenberger, published in the Star., he mentioned that when Petain took over the French Government, many people believed that it indicated a stiffening of resistance. Colonel Kippenberger said he had never thought so,, and based his belief on what the British Official History has to say on the subject, quoting a particular reference in this work. Very Pessimistic. Petain had a bad attack of pessimism during the great German offensive of March, 1918, and had it not been for firm action by the President of France (M. Poincare) and M. Glemenceau in appointing General Foch. to supreme command, the overwhelming rush of German troops of 1940 would have had a 1918 precedent, At this stage when it appeared as if only a miracle could save a complete fold-up of the Allied Armies, Petain,, in command of the French Army of the north, and in touch with the British on his northern flank, was all fory pulling out and retiring on Paris. The British would have been left between the sea and an exposed flank, with the Germans rolling them up just as they did in front of the Dunkirk beaches in 1940. The situation was so grave that a general conference was held at Doullens on March 26, 19*18, when Poincare, Glemenceau, Sir Douglas Haig (the British Commander-in-Chief), and others leaders were present. • In conversation with Glemenceau Petain made it clear that he had given orders for his army to retire south away from the British. Petain added that lie was certain the British would be beaten in the open field, followed by the defeat of the French Army. Glemenceau,, to quote the Official History, said that a general should not speak, or even think such things, and repeated Petain's remarks to Poincare. General Foch was able to persuade the French leaders that things were not so desperate as Petain made out. Foch was soon appointed ComI mander-in-Ghief of the Allied Armies, which stood together to hold the Germans and roganise the push which brought victory a few months later. Portion of General Gough's Fifth Army were handed over to Petain just before this. The French gen- | eral exclaimed: "Alas, it no longer remains. It is broken,"" and went on to disparage Gough's troops, and compare them with " the Italians after their shameful defeat at Cajjo- j retto.