FIDELITY TO PETAIN.
'pl I ERE is something unpleasantly suggestive of a direct emulation of Nazi methods in the decree that i.s being issued in Vichy requiring Ministers and other high oilicials to swear fidelity to .Marshal Petain as Chief of the French State and to accept responsibility for their acts with their lives and property. In Italy ami in Germany the enforcement of unquestioning obedience to the leader—the Duee or the Fuehrer as the ctiro may be—has done a great deal to bring about the enslavement of the nations concerned. In France, where Marsha! Petain has little more than the authority of a figurehead, the danger to be feared is rather that nominal obedience to the «< -called Chief of the State r::r.. mean in fact complete subservience to the enemy. it might perhaps be suggested that Marshal Petain is <a‘vl:mg protect himself and France against coiirpim-ies Lite that engineered not long ago by M. Lavul. There i.s every reason to (ear. however, that the aged marshal has poor pro: peris of protecting himself against such tactics whatever the ostensible measure of his power may be. The fact that under Nazi pressure he had hl<-h to ,roller the humiliation • f going through a form of reconciliation with laiv.d is hardly env->ur, mg. Vaguely i,s the real ;,im: of the Vschy Government drlined, its most tolerant critic could hardly claim that it was w.-rkmg (,<• the ultimate re-estabhshmenl of the hbertv raid integrity of France Thformer Paris correspondent of the ••.Manchester Gtimdum" wrote recently, for instance, that in sp-tc of Lorraine and a thousand other things, certain French politicians continued to prench ro-operatmn with Germany, M Flamlm ’the e>>rr«-->'p- sulrnt added > wh<> -.-My the --‘her day was Sentimentally treated by a L«md<m paper as .< friend .>( Engl.m.d at heart, had ln-en telling a g.i’.he! ,i.g M u-.m:..!. Ihj th;.' England ah.mv with her block.,de w: he;. France ;ii He attr-e.md the war to the mil lienee Jew-, and Fr<-< rna- n ;.:M m ;h< mongers in Britain ami France He -.nd Am-: power- jp-d invited France to co-<>j x-rate m the new ■ ; -.•;<■ ■ m>M<i j.,-pICHS'-d With such li m-m: of emmderu-e This should d.-.p- <1 -hi-yro-Brstoih Fkmdm !eg«-ml o: ..nd f-. r .dl (h-rmau hmvhm'- m the Purr, Pres- ritmue - mg to the -.ame Im . 'Fhv Sa'vmj* ■ Irmenl m ’he situation ;■ it h. ■> been ;r.e h. p* »n,,,. any new d.-scen- by th?- Vichy G • •• u . • < Grrmaiiv u* suld !e,M to active jevop, in a large pm t ,*f the -.--h Empire which -.till -..w. ns allegiance '-•< ’'.'why It vureh' urn : be :mjs .;< ■ to all loyal Frenchmen that the only h-<;x* fur the future ~f then country n m the gallant efiorts of mrml ci*, uf ‘.lie Free Fret ch hurm, whu are f.ghtmg -hsaider i‘.-.i -h c. mra.m and d;rwh<T<‘ »:*.■! engaging m evploits th.e dn-.h free; the Chad •(■•rrltorv m wb.ich the Italian air base at Mnr.-uk wa- destroyed.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1941, Page 4
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486FIDELITY TO PETAIN. Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1941, Page 4
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