TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 October 1940, Page 5

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

FRENCH FLEET & NORTH AFRICA LAVAL SAID TO BE OPPOSED BY PETAIN. CONJECTURES IN NEUTRAL COUNTRIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 23. The “Daily Telegraph” says Herr Hitler’s apparent desire to pacify France and involve Spain presupposes that both must believe in a German victory. As Laval must know, any respect the Vichy Government’s supporters enjoy is vested solely in Marshal Petain, who must be overthrown before a Quisling regime can be introduced in France. The French air force has demonstrated its dislike of domination by refusing offers of £9O plus good pay for training German pilots and taking over routine duties to relieve Germans for combative work.

Most correspondents agree that the disposition and ultimate destination of the French fleet and North African air force figure largely in the discussions between Herr Hitler and M. Laval. These questions earlier caused interCabinet strife in Vichy, where opponents of collaboration against Britain are reported to include Generals Weygand and Huntziger and many members of Cabinet, on the ground that the French people would oppose such action and might even revolt. French leaders remaining in Paris are reported to support M. Laval’s proGerman leanings. Well-informed French quarters in London believe that Herr Hitler’s decision to confer with M. Laval was due to his failure to end the war quickly, also the danger of the French becoming over-impressed by Britain’s stubborn resistance and increasingly hoping for a British 1 victory.

The “Basler Nachrichten’s” Berlin correspondent says the Hitler-Laval meeting is part of a great Axis political offensive aimed to prevent the United States’ entry into the war by the creation of events before the Presidential election, thus completely excluding such a possibility. FAREWELL DINNER HITLER CONDUCTS FRANCO TO TRAIN. (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, October 24. According to a Berlin news agency report, from somewhere in France, the Hitler-Franco talks ended last night. The Fuehrer gave General Franco dinner in a restaurant car, in the presence of German and Spanish notables, and later conducted him to a special train where there was a cordial farewell, accompanied by the Spanish national anthem.