FRENCH PLIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1941, Page 6

FRENCH PLIGHT

ADMIRAL DARLAN’S THREAT BLOCKADE BELITTLED. ‘•DOES NOT HARM GERMANY.” (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) VICHY. March 10. A threat to order French warships'to convoy food ships if Britain continued to seize and sink them was made by Admiral Darlan at a Press conference. He said: “I am responsible for feeding the forty million people of France and additional millions in Africa. I will feed them even if I have to use force. “The Germans,, by releasing two million quintals of wheat, earmarked for the army of occupation, have proved more generous than the British but I still hope for more generous action from England. In the hope of a better understanding with England I will not protect foodships for a few weeks yet, if this fails, I .will seek Marshal Petain’s authorisation to convoy them I told Admiral Leahy (U.S.A. Ambassador) last night that a blockade alone is powerless to starve Germany. The blockade does not harm Germany and touches only peoples not participating in the war.” Marshal Petain, who frequently nodded approval of Admiral Darlan’s statement, said: "We need American aid now as never before. We are in a bad way and the next few weeks will be worse still. We planted as much as we could but without fertilisers and fuel we (re restricted. There will not be enough wheat at the next harvest to carry us through another winter.”

FRENCH SHIP SEIZED BY BRITISH CRUISER. VICHY PROTEST TO SOUTH AFRICA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.45 pm)’ VICHY, March 10. • It is officially announced that a British cruiser seized the Ville de Majunga southward of Cape Town. The Ville de Majunga was en route to Madagascar from Dakar. The French Government has made an energetic protest to South Africa. DEFENCE OF EMPIRE NO PROTECTION AGAINST INFILTRATION. (Received This Day, 1.50 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. After the announcement of the seizure of the Ville de Majunga, a Vichy news agency declared that’the defence of the French-African empire, on which Admiral Darlan and General Weygand had agreed applied to communications between .metropolitan France and the French Empire. According to the London ••Times"’ the French Government’s decision that French forces alone will' defend the African empire against any aggressor, means defence against aggression expected from supporters of General de Gaulle or the British but not defence against infiltration as observable in Morocco. It is revealed that all the Bank of France gold reserves totalling a millard dollars were deposited in Martinque last June. The gold was conveyed by a cruiser when the Somme front was pierced and it was realised lhat a long resistance was impossible. Fourteen thousand sacks were collected and rushed to the cruiser, which reached Martinque on June 22.