FRENCH COLLAPSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1940, Page 5

FRENCH COLLAPSE

AGREEMENT REGARDING FLEET

MR CHURCHILL STATES FACTS.

SOLEMN ASSURANCES BROKEN.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, June 25. In the House of Commons Mr Winston Churchill said: “The House will feel profound sorrow at the fate of the great French nation,

a people to whom v£.e have been joined so long in war and peace and whom we have regarded as trustees, with ourselves, for the progress of a liberal, cultured and

tolerant civilisation in Europe. “There is no use or advantage in wasting strength and time upon hard words and reproaches. We hope that life and power will be given us to rescue them from the ruin and bondage into which they have been sunk by the might and fury of the enemy and from other causes. We hope, however, that the French Empire, stretching all over the world and protected by seapower, will continue to struggle at the side of its Allies. We hope it may become the seat of a Government which will strive steadfastly for victory and organise armies of liberation. These are matters which Frenchmen alone can decide. We find it difficult to believe that the interest of France and the spirit of France wlil And no other expression than in the melancholy decisions which have been taken by the Government at Bordeaux. We shall certainly aid to the best of our ability and resources any movement of Frenchmen outside the power of the enemy to work for the liberation from barbarism and for the freedom and restoration of France. What our relations will be with the Bordeaux Government I cannot tell. They have delivered themselves over to the enemy and are wholly in his power. But, relying upon the true genius of the French people and their judgment upon what has happened to them when they are allowed to know the facts, we shall endeavour to keep such contacts as are possible through the bars of their prison. Meanwhile, we must look to our own salvation and effective defence, upon which not only British, but French, European and world-wide fortunes depend. The safety of Britain and the Empire is powei fully, though not decisively, affected by what happens to the French Fleet.”

Mr Churchill next described events between June 13, when he, Lord Halifax and Lord Beaverbrook met M. Reynaud, and he had felt bound to refuse his assent to the latter’s request for release from France’s obligation not to negotiate a separate armistice or peace, until June 16, when the Petain Government was formed. Mr Churchill disclosed that when M. Reynaud on June 16, declared that the reply to the United States to his appeal was inadequate to enable French resistance to continue, the British Government, in view of what France had suffered, intimated that, provided the French Fleet was sent to British ports while negotiations were being conducted, consented to the French asking for terms. While Mr Churchill was on his way to discuss this with M. Reynaud, the latter was supplanted by Marshal Petain. Subsequently the First Lord of the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord went to Bordeaux to urge fulfilment of the condition that the French Fleet should be sent to British ports,” but everything was of course moving into a collapse at that time. Many solemn assurances were given that the fleet would never be allowed to fall into German hands. It was therefore with grief and amazement that I read Article 8 of the armistice terms. From this text it is clear that the French war vessels pass into German and Italian control, fully armed.” Mr Churchill referred contemptuously to the German assurance that the ships would not be used.

BRITISH ACTION SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS INEVITABLE every effort to secure FRENCH FLEET. LORD CALDECOTE EXPRESSES FIRM CONFIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON. June 25. Viscount Caldecote, in the House of Lords, said: “I am afraid it must be recognised that the French submission has made severance of formal relations between Britain and France inevitable, but if there are any contacts that can be maintained, Britain will not lose any opportunity. Everything possible is being done to secure the French Fleet for the Allies. We will not relax our efforts to ensure that these ships continue to serve the Allied cause. "Even if Paris is not occupied the real governors of France are in Berlin. not in Paris. It would be full of danger to our interests to have British representatives in unoccupied France accredited to a Government under the thumb and observation of our enemies. “A British trawler's subduing of an Italian submarine is typical of the supremacy of the British forces in the Middle East over the lackey ally of Germany. The superior initiative and skill of our troops in the Middle East have established in the field definite supremacy over Italy. I have no doubt that your Lordships view the prospects, as I do, with confidence and determination.”

NO COUNTER PROPOSALS

MADE BY FRENCH ENVOYS TO ITALY. DISCUSSION OF FINAL AGREEMENT. LONDON. June 25. It is revealed in Rome that at the armistice conference the French plenipotentiaries accepted all the Italian terms and made no counter-proposals. The Italian Government officially announced that the terms were offered to France on the basis that they must be accepted or rejected as a

whole, thus preventing the counterproposals. The French plenipotentiaries are returning to France by plane. A final agreement between France, Germany and Italy was discussed by the French Cabinet this morning. The French announce that this agreement will not be published till it has been ratified by all parties.