ACCEPTED BY FRANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1940, Page 5

ACCEPTED BY FRANCE

Cessation of Hostilities Ordered

CALL TO LOYAL FRENCHMEN REITERATED

GENERAL DE GAULLE CONFIDENT OF GOOD RESPONSE

An armistice between France and Italy has been signed, a Daventry broadcast states. Acting on instructions from the Bordeaux Government, General Huntziger has put his fcignature to the Italian terms at Rome. Germany has been notified of the French acceptance of the Italian terms at 7.35 p.m. Italian summer time and hostilities will cease at 1.30 a.m. today, Italian summer time. Nothing has so far been announced as to the terms of the armistice with Italy, though there is every reason to believe that they will be ruthless, avaricious and humiliating, m spite of the fact that Italy in no way has taken part in any victorious action against France. The Bordeaux Government has ordered today to be observed as a day of national mourning, but the true views of France are to be heard outside the country. General de Gaulle, who has taken the initiative in forming a French National Committee in London, yesterday reiterated his call to all Frenchmen to fight on. He was convinced, he said, that all parts of the French Empire would go on with the fight. He had reason to believe that the French Fleet would not surrender to the enemy. If the response of the French Empire was up to expectations, the National Committee would seek to form a French Government somewhere on French soil. Fighting between France and Germany and Italy will cease at approximately 11.5 o’clock this morning (New Zealand time).