REPORTED DEMANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1940, Page 5

REPORTED DEMANDS

BY ITALY & GERMANY MEANS OF ATTACKING BRITAIN. DICTATION ON CONTINENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, June 24. Negotiations are still proceeding in Rome this morning, with the French representatives in telephonic contact with the Bordeaux Government. Reports from Zurich. Switzerland, declare that the Italo-French discussions concern France's Mediterranean and coastal fleet and also her colonies. Italy is reported to be demanding strong military positions in Jubuti, Tunis, Algiers and Morocco. The “Popolo di Roma'’ says: “The Petain Government is not trustworthy, and the French burgeois spirit is still prominent: therefore it is the wrong place to be mercifully disposed to France.'’

The Berlin “Voelkischer Beobachter” describes the Franco-German armistice as the basis for Germany to obtain the best possible positions and means with which to attack England, and also the basis for a very considerable extension of German territory at a later peace conference. This extension, it states, will not only include Alsace-Lorraine, but also will enable Germany to dictate German principles of peace on the Continent. Otherwise authorised Nazi sources refuse to comment on the armistice terms published in London saying only that France will be of no further use to Britain.

The British Ambassador to France, Sir Ronald Campbell, and the principal members of the Embassy staff left Bordeaux last night. FRENCH LOYALISTS. The “Daily Telegraph” says that General de Gaulle’s decision to form a French National Committee was reached late on Sunday. The bulk of the French Embassy staff in London and the French missions working in collaboration with the British war departments will transfer their activities to the committee.

General de Gaulle, when interviewed, said that the constitution of the committee would be decided upon as soon as certain important Frenchman arrived. “I do not suppose I will head it,” he said. Responses to the general’s appeal are pouring in from Frenchmen in England, including the Michelin Company's 10 French departmental heads. The Calcutta correspondent of “The Times” reports that French citizens met at Chandernagore (the French possession adjacent to Calcutta), passed a resolution rejecting the forced armistice and undertaking to continue the fight by every means with Britain. It is officially stated in Bordeaux that General de Gaulle will be courtmartialled and charged with refusing to return to his post and with addressing an appeal to French soldiers from foreign territory.

BRIEF CEREMONY DELEGATES MEET AT ROME. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) ROME, June 24. It is officially stated that the first French and Italian armistice meeting yesterday was held in the Villa Inchess. The Italians, awaiting within, stood and gave the Fascist salute when the French arrived. Count Ciano opened the negotiations. Marshal Badoglio invited General Roatta to read the terms. After hearing the terms the French envoys transmitted them to Box'deaux. The ceremony lasted for 20 minutes. HUMILIATING TERMS COMMENT IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, June 24. A commentary issued today on the German armistice terms by the Federal Department of Information declared that it was difficult to imagine anything more humiliating. The Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, said that the extent of the consequences of the armistice could not be judged till the fate of the French fleet was known. He could not imagine that the armistice meant an end of French resistance everywhere, he said, but if so then the British Empire would be left to fight alone, in which event the Empire would light on tenaciously and eventually would win. ALPINE FIGHTING FRENCH REPEL ITALIAN ATTACKS. ENEMY SUFFERS SEVERE LOSSES. LONDON, June 24. A Bordeaux communique says: “There has been no important event in the west. Lively fighting occurred in the environs of Saint Etienne in the centre. The Germans advanced southward in the region of Culoz. In the south-east our advance posts broke Italian Alpine attacks which nowhere breached our line of resistance. The enemy suffered severe losses.”

GERMAN REPORT CAPTURE OF MUNITIONS IN FRANCE. ALLEGED AIR AND SEA SUCCESSES. (Received This Day. 11.5 a.m.) BERLIN, June 24. A High Command communique stales: “We have occupied the Atlantic coast as far as the mouth of the Gironde and have captured La Rochelle and Rochefort and reached the district north from Poitiers, where a large depot of artillery and munitions fell into our hands, also further defence works of the Maginot Line. South-east of Lyons we are pressing towards Grenoble and Chambery.'

A German torpedo-boat sank two British steamers. A submarine sank two 3,500-ton ships. German lighters shot down two British lighters near Calais. Nine British planes attempted to fly over the Netherlands. Six were shot down. British planes bombed peasant cottages in Westphalia and machine-gunned the inhabitants. Six civilians were injured. During the night the enemy continued his Hights over North and West Germany."