FREE FRANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1941, Page 5

FREE FRANCE

STRENGTH OF FORCES INCREASING DE GAULLE’S BUOYANT DECLARATION MEN OF VICHY DEFIED. TO GO TO WAR AGAINST BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 3. hi a statement to the Press in Cairo, the leader of the Free French forces. General de Gaulle, alluded to German instigation of policies and incidents intended 1o embroil the Vichy Government with Britain. Me said: “1 defy the men of Vichy to go Io war against Britain. National opinion would never tolerate such a step.” He added that his presence in the centre of the Middle East operations signified that Free France had participated with the territories, forces and influence she still had. General de Gaulle declared that, having travelled at length, having seen Britain at work, crossed Africa, been on the battlefields of Eritrea, “I am sure victory in this war is ours. We shall have many trials to face. The end is not near, nor is victory easily won. but we shall remain on the side which is fighting for liberty.” Free France’s military, naval and aerial strength was increasing continually, General de Gaulle said, and was now an appreciable element in the whole Allied forces. One reason why a Government of Free France had not been created was because they did not want to separate themselves from the legal institutions of France. It was unnecessary to form a Government as the Free French leaders considered themselves “gerants.”