PETAIN BROADCASTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1940, Page 6

PETAIN BROADCASTS

REASONS FOR ENDING HOSTILITIES

HOPELESS DISPARITY OF FORCE. COMPARISONS WITH 1917 AND 1918. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON. June 20. Marshal Petain (French Prime Minister) broadcasting and an nouncing that he had asked the enemy to end hostilities, said: “I rook this decision with the stout: heart of a soldier because the military situation imposed it. A request for an armistice was inevitable from June 13. The blow surprised you. I am going to give you reasons for it.

On May 1, 1917, we still had 3,280,000 men under arms, despite three years of murderous fighting. On the eve of the present battle we have 5000 fewer. We had 85 British divisions and 42 American divisions in 1918. The inferiority of our material in this war was even greater than the inferiority of our effectives. French aviation fought at odds of one to six. We will learn a lesson from the battle which has been lost. The spirit of pleasure prevailed over the spirit of sacrifice. After the victory in the last war, the people demanded more than they were given. They wanted to spare themselves effort. Today misfortunes have come. I was with you in glorious days. As head of the Government, I will remain with you in dark days. Stand by me. The fight still continues. It is for France.”