OPERATIONS AT DAKAR.

Evening Star, Issue 23690, 25 September 1940, Page 8

OPERATIONS AT DAKAR.

The return of Dakar to war news prominence is a reminder of the importance attached by both sets of belligerents to this westernmost point of the African continent. The capital and chief port of French West Africa, Dakar possesses many strategic advantages in time of war. Besides being ideally Situated for a submarine base and for naval headquarters generally, it is perhaps the obvious terminal for a transatlantic air service with Brazil. All such features made it inevitable that sooner or later the publicity it received when units of the Royal Navy immobilised the French battleship Richelieu in its waters would not be its last. The present position at Dakar is still a little obscure, and iprobably will remain so until the operations now in progress are concluded. A clue leading up to the why and wherefore of the clash between General de Gaulle’s Free French forces and the enslaved representatives of the Vichy Government may He in a message containing the information that during„ August there was an infiltration of Germans who planned to open up a transatlantic air service with South America. It is now only too evident, indeed, that wherever trouble arises there are German influences. Naturally, it was not to be expected that the British authorities and General de Gaulle would countenance any enemy scheme to acquire control of a port so valuable from the point of view of both aviation and sea warfare. Encouraged by the certain knowledge that the majority of the people on this part of the coast are anxious to follow the example of French Equatorial Africa in joining his Free French forces, de Gaulle has set out with warships as well as troops to take personal charge of this vital French possession. He is encountering some resistance, but, judging from the latest communique received, he is carrying on the operations, fortified by great confidence in the outcome. The amazingly anti-British Vichy Government, true to its policy of grovelling before its Nazi masters, is making wild allegations regarding the Royal Navy's part in the activities. It is made clear from more dependable sources, however,

that dc Gaulle is relying solely on his own forces and ships to settle the issue, and that the British warships in the vicinity are in attendance merely to give added protection against possible attack by the Germans. No credence for the Vichy story of an attempted British landing is tenable. The relief felt in the United States over the action taken by Britain in sponsoring the dc Gaulle move is proof enough of the significance of Dakar in relation to South American integrity.