Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 4608x6656 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

[?]
i.®.y It -#j HIhi h A Wf M « if hp I sop
IT SyrtfaoHBWr WW ILaJHil W #%l4iii WWW!
Traitor Assumes
;5Fter;H ¥feiw
(From the Daily Mirror's Special Correspondents.)
; |c ONDON/ Wedeiesdlciyo — Londbtu fakes -a grave view of fhe
ftf3 re-eeifry of frhe pro-Nazi Pierre Laval info the Vichy Cabinet1
ps. vice-premier, the, B.B.C. says
fmwmimg mMegmmeet® the'Jftazis is such that with Mm in
cpntvoi <mt m wivtwoM stmte of wmr Between Viehv Fwmmee
Britain m eensMered esstpemel Mike 1$.
-/ FRENCH PEOPLE HAY REBEL
' Some quarters interpret events as meaning a state of 'undeclared'
war with Britain already, it is also suggested that Laval would even
fight the United States if necessary.
WASHINGTON is as deeply con
cerned at the coup as Lon
don. One message describes ife as
"a very serious crisis." Ankara
Radio (Turkey) quotes an uncon
firmed report that the U.S. is re
calling its Ambassador to Vichy
(Admiral Leahy).
, In Washington demands have al
ready been mar'e by Congressmen l
for seizure of all French territory
considered necessary for prosecution
of America's war effort.
Of vital importance in the rela- 1
tions between the Allies and Vichy
and the Axis is the fate of the i
. French Fleet. So far 110 reference
to it has been made.
Although Laval assumes the post
of Vice-Premier. Berlin claims that
he will have full control, and that
the present Premier (Marshal Petain)
will occupy a merely nominal posi- j
tion. I
This would place Laval in much j
the same position as the Norwegian
traitor. Major Quisling. Vichy Radio j
yesterday referred to him as "Presi
dent Laval."
Laval will also control some foreign !
affairs, it is stated. The former Vice- j
Premier and Foreign Minister (Ad-
ihiral Darlan > will have no minis
terial rank in the new Cabinet. He
Will be chief of the armed forces.
While relations between Britain.
America and Vichy have now reach
ed their worst stage since the col
lapse of France, and while hostili-
ties are regarded as likely, one fac
tor which may upset Laval's plans
is the attitude of the French
people. -
With the exception of the small
circle of pro-Nazi traitors. French
men have never taken easily to Vichy
rule. Now some quarters suggest that
open hostilities against Britain would
lead to revolution.
Not for nothing do the French
people wave and smile when they see
R.A.F. bombers overhead.
The London Daily Sketch says the
final move that broke Marshal Pe-
tain's long resistance to German de
mands was a message from Berlin
stressing Hitler's determination to set
up a separate government in Unoccu
pied France, with Laval as Premier,
in Paris, which would declare war
against the Allies.
The Sketch says Petain realised
that if this threat was carried out,
Vichy might collapse and have to face
the possibility of revolution, with the
Paris "government" stepping in to re
store order.
"Petain tried to compromise, but
finally accepted Laval, in the hope
of saving ine present regime," the
Sketch says.
"Attempts will be made to give the
impression that Vichy's present policy
is continuing, while Laval works be
low the surface to effect Hitler's
plans."
official statements have yet been made in London or Washington. In
Washington yesterday the assistant State Secretary (Mr. Sumner Welles)
declined to comment until Admiral Leahy had reported from Vichv.
TTOWEVER. Congressman Charles
Faddis. of the Military Affairs
Committee, said yesterday: "Our
present position regarding France has
netted us nothing. If maintained, it
.Will:1 result in disaster.
"I call on the Government to take
possession by force of all French
f territory neccssarv to prosecution
Of , the war."
.Representative William Poage, who
- also demanded seizure of French pos
sessions. said of Laval: "Today a
traitor has received his 30 pieces of
spver. ' He described Laval as "the .
.enemy of all free people." i
in s reported.- to have said at
.L w-y yesterday that he wished to
maintain friendly relations with Ger-
twVL,aLd thc United States. Men- -
t Loi 't:,un is not reported,
witn S£u? -le tioporl to obtain peace
ith the Axis, with a guarantee of ,
French independence. He proposed
to deal with the problems of main
taining the integrity of the French
Empire, and the disposition of the
French province of Alsace Lorraine.
At the beginning of April, Laval
said: "I remain the champion of col
laboration, and may have something
more to do with it."
Vichy has replied to the U.S. Note
concerning the establishment of an
American Consulate at Free French
Brazzaville (French Equatorial
Africa) .
The U.S. Note is described in the
reply as having been drafted in "in
sulting terms." The reply spoke re
sentfully of "lessons m patriotism
from foreigners." -
The American Note was at first re
jected. This rejection has now been
withdrawn.
M. Laval. Help
M. Laval.
Admiral Darlan. Help
Admiral Darlan.
Marshal Petain. Help
Marshal Petain.
M. Marcel Deat. Help
M. Marcel Deat.
$