VICHY NERVOUS OVER AFRICA

Southland Times, Issue 24884, 26 October 1942, Page 5

VICHY NERVOUS OVER AFRICA

Darlan’s Visit Has Significance

(Rec. 9.35 p.m.) LONDON, October 25. According to a Stockholm r ®P Vichy has rushed 500 planes to West Paris radio said: “There is no possible doubt that our empire is threatened. France has clearly decided to defend her African Empire and the defence is henceforth no longer one merely ot honour.” , t n. A message from Rabat states that tne Sultan of Morocco received the Vichy commander-in-chief, Admiral Jean Darlan, who said France was passing through a most difficult phase and counted on Moi ocean support. The Sultan pledged his loyalty to Vichy. Admiral Darlan conferred with General Joseph Nogues and members of the North-west African Army. , The Rome correspondent ot tne Zurich newspaper Volksrecht Apervok says: “The slogan of the Italian Press is. ‘The Russian campaign is over —the battle for the Mediterranean is imminent.’ The infiltration of United States troops in Africa is regarded with uneasiness in Italy. The Liberia landing is described as an incessant stream of United States troops, planes and war material flowing from the west coast to form a great semi-circle round Tripoli and Libya.”

The correspondent says that the ever-growing German' pressure on Vichy creates the danger of French African colonies abandoning the motherland and joining the Allies. Admiral Darlan’s presence in Dakar is significant as there is every indication of the native population steadily withdrawing its allegiance to Vichy.