VICHY DRAMA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1941, Page 5

VICHY DRAMA

SAID TO BE NEARING CLIMAX WARNING REPRESENTATIONS BY U.S.A. REGARDING FRENCH'FLEET. <By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright!. LONDON. February 7. Among much comment of varying reliability on Marshal i Retain '< attempts to resist the I German machinations personified in M. Pierre Laval, the corespondents of the “Daily Express” and “Daily Mail” emphasise a representation made to Vichy of the United Stales' concern at the possibility of the French fleet being handed over to Germany. The ‘’Mail’s'' correspondent says that the drama at Vichy nears its climax. Admiral Darlan arrived at Paris last night, bearing the compromise plan to Hiller's representative. Herr Abetz. The admiral will confer with M. Laval. Before Darlan’s departure from Vichy the Cabinet held a last-minute meeting, and Darlan had hardly left before the American Ambassador, Admiral Leahy, visited Marshal Petain and strongly reiterated a warning that the maintenance of the integrity of the French fleet is vitally important, to the United States. The correspondent adds that Vichy’s counter-proposals are that the marshal remain at the head of the State, with Admiral Darlan as Premier and Foreign Minister, and M. Laval as VicePremier and Minister of the Interior. Marshal Petain is believed to have insisted that Admiral Darlan should be; cither Minister of the Interior or: Foreign Minister. The “Daily Telegraph" says that news from Vichy suggests that M. Laval is staking his whole political future by insisting on powers of control of the French Cabinet, while Mar-: shal Petain is attempting to make him' a member of a balanced quadrum-1 virate over whose decisions the mar-i shal would retain a casting vote. The quadrumvirate would fall into two groups, one comprising M.M. Laval ■ and Baudouin. both of whom would bo willing to serve Germany’s interest' and the other, consisting of Admiral Darlan and General Huntziger, who would not compromise French honour by allowing the armistice to be twisted into an alliance with Germany. . FATE OF BIZERTA GENERAL WEYGAND DENIES NEGOTIATIONS. General Weygand. the 8.8. C. reports, has denied that negotiations are going on between Vichy . and the Germans for the cession of the naval base of Bizerta. in Tunisia, or for the landing of German troops there. The statement was made by leave of the French Government over the Algiers radio. Admiral Darlan is reported to have lined up with General Weygand and flatly refused to surrender the FiTnchj Fleet or naval bases to anyone. A Vichy report, not yet confirmed, states that Admiral Darlan may take over the position of Minister of the Interior and install naval officers in key places in the provinces. i

NO ABATEMENT IN NAZI PRESSURE. COMMENT IN BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 6. The German pressure on Vichy continues unabated but no definite information is available in London as to the exchanges that are taking place or the circumstances in which they are being conducted. Familiar German tactics are in evidence in regard to the spreading of reports and rumours designed to play on the nerves of the French public. i The "Manchester Guardian,” in u i leading article, says: "Hitler is following his regular technique in his effort to capture Marshal Petain. He sets up his Fifth Coluurnn among the marshal’s colleagues; he turns on his Paris Press, making it flatter one day and threaten the next; lie plays on the fears i of the public; and he creates a party of his own which is an opposition in the full sense, for it may be regarded as an alternative Government. WAR ON FRENCH NERVES. "These methods are pursued with a good deal of cunning, rumours being put into circulation here in order to circulate there in the hope of shaking or wearing down the French nerves. But there are strange lapses that always have been an element in German [ diplomacy. Of this we have amusing j illustrations in the warning tn the French not to count on a British victory, given on the German radio. "This allusion to the French hope of a British victory shows that Marshal Petain is n<>‘ powerless There are conditions t>> which, he will not submit, and if Hitler forces those conditions m France through a Government of his own he will find himself faced with a good many difficulties. French opposition will not be negligible matter imide France Outside it wmdd be very serious "I*. gem-rally known that Hiller wants the me of the licet and of naval bases m order that he may intervene more effect wely m the Mediterranerm If he niiJa-s such a demand it may possibly be met by active resistance by the fleet and in the French Empire AN INDIRECT ATTACK. "Probably Hitler .11 male In- at tack 1«- •. directly There arc rumourthat he demitmiui;’ M Laval, shall be given an impm'trnil place in j the Petain Cabiiirt ami a dmmmitme Hitler .-.a-, h. -tx- in get what he wants with '.hi- nmmmil ac-q-jiescenre of Fi.ii.m • rcM-ut leader.". Th? “Manchester Guardian" expresses the belief that though at pre- , sent bewildered and distracted, France will recover faster than Prussia recovered after the Peace of Td-.it. with which the present position of France it compared. It adds: ‘‘Amid all this confusion there is a great and growing body of opinion that looks to complete liberation from German as an essential condition of the regeneration of