GENERAL DE GAULLE WITHDRAWS

Southland Times, Issue 24242, 27 September 1940, Page 5

GENERAL DE GAULLE WITHDRAWS

DAKAR OPERATIONS ABANDONED (Uniteci Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, September 25. It is announced that General Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free Frenchmen, has decided to abandon his operations for the occupation of Dakar. It is understood that the decision was made because the operations threatened to develop in a direction not envisaged when the expedition was launched.

According to the Ministry of Information the whole venture consisted of an attempt on the part of General de Gaulle and his Free Frenchmen to ascertain the feeling in Dakar and the hinterland. It was essentially a French move. General de Gaulle had good reason to believe that he would be welcomed by a large number of supporters and Britain lent support purely as a guard against German or Italian intervention. This support was lent all the more willingly in that there had been considerable German and Italian penetration in this area. General de Gaulle’s forces were fired on, even when they approached under a white flag to negotiate and the Free French forces opened fire only when they received no reply to their ultimatum that firing must cease or they would be compelled to reply. When it became clear that only a major operation could secure the fall of the town General de Gaulle decided to withdraw as it had never been the intention of General de Gaulle or of the British Government to cause bloodshed among those Frenchmen who think it necessary to support the Vichy Government.

The British made no attempt to halt the three French cruisers which, after General de Gaulle’s move had begun, sailed from Toulon for Dakar. They were then travelling between two Vichy controlled ports. But when they moved towards those French territories giving allegiance to General de Gaulle they were halted. Two put back towards Dakar and a third suffered the ignominy of being escorted back to Casablanca with engine trouble.