NAZI DEMANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1941, Page 5

NAZI DEMANDS

FOR BASES IN FRENCH AFRICA MANY RUMOURS IM VICHY. GENERAL WEYGAND’S VISIT. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, August 9. Rumours of imminent “sensational events” are persistent in Vichy, and the police force has been doubled in all big towns in unoccupied France, says the “Daily Mail's” correspondent on the French frontier. General Weygand has arrived a< Vichy from Africa and with Admiral Darlan has conferred with Marshal Petain. It is believed that General Weygand's visit is in consequence of German pressure for air and naval bases at Dakar, Casablanca and Algiers. Anxiety is spreading throughout Morocco over Vichy’s attitude toward the Axis. Since August 5 leave has been stopped for all Spanish troops in Morocco. Well-ir.formed quarters think that a Spanish move to Morocco is not improbable. The “Daily Mail’s" Madrid correspondent says that though the manufacture of planes was banned under the armistice. Germany is allowing the French to build squadrons of fighters and bombers for the defence of the French North African colonies. It is also reported that Admiral Darlan is permitting the removal of heavy calibre guns from the French mainland to' Casablanca and Dakar. The Vichy envoy in Paris, Comte de Brincn, in an interview, declared that France had decided to accept the German version of a new' world order as opposed to the Anglo-American version. That France! should decide to collaborate with Germany was no affair of President Roosevelt or Mr Sumner Welles. France would not tolerate an American effort to control French policy in, the name of a superannuated political system. An agency message says that Admiral Darlan, who has just returned from Paris, has obtained “full satisfaction" from the Germans, but whether this means that the Vichy Cabinet will approve- or not remains to be seen. If it does. Admiral Darlan will be able to order General Weygand to carry out the demands, because of the recent decree which gives AdmiralDarlan full responsibility for French policy in Africa. It is now revealed that more than 2000 Vichy’ soldiers joined the Free French forces in Syria in the first fortnight of the fighting, and that more than 100 are still being enrolled daily in General de Gaulle's army. AMERICAN REPORT ULTIMATUM PRESENTED. LCNDON, August 10. All reports indicate that the Vichy Government will today make a decision whether or not to give the Germans a further sphere of influence in the French Empire. Officially there is complete silence about the discussions, but Mr Raymond Gram Swing, the noted American commentator, in a broadcast yesterday, said it was believed that Berlin had presented Vichy with an ultimatum to be answered by today. This demands port facilities in various parts of the French empire,' and would amount to German control.