GROWING HOPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1940, Page 5

GROWING HOPE

PERCEIVED IN FRANCE DEPENDENCE ON BRITISH VICTORY. RESPONSE TO MR CHURCHILL’S ADDRESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 22. Coincident' with a broadcast made to the French people last night by the Prime .Minister, Mr Churchill, come reports of anti-German feeling in France and growing hope in a British victory. Mr Churchill described how the British were fighting in the common cause of freedom and he gave to the people of France a heartening message, calling on them to rearm their spirit, before it was too late. Evidence that they are already doing so is coming from observers in the country. Sympathy for Britain is increasing steadily as a true understanding of the British aims grows more widespread, and it is becoming recognised that only with a British victory will their former 'liberties and living standards be restored. The German wireless announces, according to the 8.8. C., that Hitler has received M. Laval, vice-premier of the Vichy Government. Herr von Ribbentrop was present. It is -stated that the German, Italian and French navies may make a move against Britain's mastery of the sea.

NEUTRAL REPORTS RISE OF PRO-BRITISH FEELING. LAVAL'S REPORTED SCHEMES. LONDON, October 22. The Paris correspondent of a Spanish newspaper says that week by week watchers at cinemas display increasing pro-British feeling when German news reels, are screened. These reports are confirmed in the first of a series of articles in a Swiss newspaper. The writer is anonymous, but he is a well-known politician who spent the past few months at Vichy. It is stated that the anti-British feeling following the collapse of France and the incidents at Oran and Dakar has disappeared and has been replaced by growing sympathy as British resistance strengthens. For a long time, says the writer, French people were unable to understand why the French emissaries with a white flag were fired on at Dakar, but now they believe that the order was given by the German authorities. They also believe that in the raid on Gibraltar which followed the Dakar incident, French pilots dropped their bombs in the sea and that whatever damage occured was caused by German pilots. It is further stated that Marshal Petain is pro-British, but that he is opposed by M. Laval and M. Baudouin, who are staking all on an Axis victory. French people are reported to be increasingly listening to. French broadcasts from London, and also to have become more convinced than ever that the best prospects of France’s liberation rest in a British victory. Another report says that in Paris the police have found 18 centres for the distribution of pamphlets and 615 persons have been arrested. According to the Associated Press correspondent on the Swiss frontier, M. Laval is in Paris negotiating an armistice between France and the Axis Powers by which France will give up Alsace-Lorraine, Nice, Tunis, and Jibuti, and the Axis Powers would undertake not to steal anything else if Vichy declared war on Britain. The correspondent says it is believed that Marshal Petain would ’ refuse to bd a party to such conditions and that M. Laval has doubts whether the French army, navy and air force would act against Britain. POOR DOLES FOR PARIS UNEMPLOYED. LONDON. October 21. The Paris correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says it is officially estimated that there are 600,000 unemployed in Paris, half of whom are aided by their former employers. The remainder received a dole equivalent to about Is Id a day for bachelors, and Is 7d for married men. plus 6d for each child. MEETING IN AFRICA FREE FRENCH LEADERS. LONDON. October 21. In the Chad Territory an important meeting has recently taken place between the former Governor of IndoChina, General Catroux, and General de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces. It is disclosed in London tonight that General Catroux travelled from London to meet General de Gaulle and conveyed to him his admiration and confidence in the work he is doing to lead France to victory and pledged his fullest support. General Catroux has now left on his return to England.