NAZIS & VICHY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 7

NAZIS & VICHY

NO CONCLUSION REACHED ADMIRAL DARLAN RETURNING TO PARIS. ATTEMPTS TO IMPOSE LIMITS ON LAVAL •By rdegraph—Press Association Copyright LONDON. February 4. The Ermn-li M inkier o f * | ic Navy, Admiral Darlan. on his return to \ ichy todav alter flit* discussions in Paris, immediately saw Marshal I’elain. Ihe 1* ot'eigii Minister •M. I* landin. and Minister of Mai-. General Hnnlzinger. .i'-im-d the nieetinir, which k.sied for one and a half ’"•Hi’m after which Darlan again conferred with Petain alone.

The Vie.iy co:respondent of the BriLsh United Press states that the latest attempt nt rapprochement between Lamd and Petain has not been entirolv successful. Dailan consequently will soon return to Paris to keen the negotiations open, making an'effort to bring Laval’s ambitions within limits that are acceptable to Petain. The Stuttgart .German) radio, broadcasting in French, today warned France not to place hopes inn British victory. Such an attitude showed “inexcusable frivolity, bordering on high treason." It added: "Unless, all Frenchmen make up their minds without delay to carry out the readjustment that is indispensable in the political, economic and social spheres, the difficulties under which France is labouring will grow worse—possibly with disastrous speed."

It is learned that the Gestapo has arrested 100 Parisian policemen after the discovery of a cache of arms at the Arc de Triomphe. M. Roger Longeron. Prefect of the Paris police, who was removed from his post and charged with being a supporter of General de Gaulle, has been released.

A Vichy message says that M. Jean Marchant has been appointed to replace M. Langerun, The decree explains that the Germans prevented M. Langcron from exercising his functions. and that he was reported to have been arrested on a serious charge.

ACUTE TENSION COMMENT IN LONDON. WHAT HITLER REALLY WANTS. (British Official Wireless t RUGBY. February 4 Though only the scantiest information. derived mainly from Indirect sources, is available in London, little doubt is felt that the state of tension which exists between the Vichy Government and Herr Hitler has reached a critical stage.

Contradictory rumours have been current on all aspects of the latest developments. but a report which finds general acceptance in the Press is that Admiral Darlan, at his meeting in Paris yesterday, gave Hitler’s personal ambassador. Herr Abetz. some indication of Marshal Petain's reply to Hitlers recent Note, which has been described as curt and threatening, "The Times." in a leading article, says; "Everything indicates that a crisis has been reached and that the strongest pressure is being brought to bear on Vichy to accept the German demands, whose precise nature can still only be guessed Appointment of M L;ival to ;< leading position in the Cabinet would be a personal humiliation to the marshal, who dismissed him recently for more than sufficient re;;-' sens It would also be an afiront to I the large majority of the French | people, whose opinion of this astute I turncoat was not formed yesterday. i "But what Hitler really wants from; the Vichy Government is something' far more concrete and far more im-; portant. Unless all the omens are! false, the principal point at issue is the possession of French Mediterranean i beses .md, possibly, of units of the; French fleet still congregated there,” I

lED UP FRI’NUHM.W TAKES BIG PLANE ■ TO BRITAIN i fHx r.ltj: —Pt <».. A -'< 1.,1 iwrl - i'luUt i ‘ LONDON. FebrmiiA 5 J A young French air mechanic de-; sirous of joinm.g the Royal Air r'orce i seized a sevvn-jias-tvngrr luxury cabin ; plane m an airfield in •—cupied Fr>me<-( and flew it to Engl,mJ He kmded <■:: j a bumpv field m .. f.wm m Cornwall ! The F'l<‘iichmari said he was fed up, i with •i'/im; umh'r Germ.m rule