DEMOCRACY ‘DEAD’

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 19, 2 November 1940, Page 3

DEMOCRACY ‘DEAD’

LAVAL ON FUTURE OF FRANCE.

COLLABORATION WITH NAZIS (United Press Association. —Copyright.) •PARIS, October .31. The Vice-Premier of the Vichy Government (M. Laval) stated to-day that French and German collaboration would embrace colonial, in addition to economic, questions. France, he said, was at present preparing a precise answer to a Gorman, ques--1 ion na ire.

M.,'Laval revealed that lie and two ■other members of the Vichy Government to-day had important technical conversations with German military and political authorities in. Paris. In an interview before meeting HenHitler, M. Laval declared that democracy everywhere was dead. He aimed' to stake France’s future on collaboration with Germany.

There is full appreciation in authoritative quarters in .London of the difficulties with which Marshal Petnin is confronted in his •efforts tot secure an amelioration for the French people of the crushing burdens cast upon them by the terms imposed hv Germany. The measure of these difficulties emerged to some extent in Marshal Retain’s broadcast recently.

One of the outstanding hardships Hinder- which the French, people suffer concerns the/ expenses of the German occupation, which amount to 400,000,000 francs a day—a figure out of all oroportion to anything asked for from tile Germans at the end of the last war. Better arrangements for demarcation between occupied aindi unoccupied France, and' some betterment in the lot or release of French prisoners in German hands a.To other alleviations which, it is clear, arc shown by Marshal Retain in his proposed collaboration with the Gejvmans. It is a.parently hoped that the results of this collaboration will become known in the next week or so. Meanwhile there is a disinclination here to accept the accuracy of reports that the Vichy Government contemplates large surrenders of territory in metropolitan France on.* in the French oversea empire, and concessions to Germany which would amount to a> betrayal of France’s ally. Confidence that the honour of France would be upheld by the aged marshal in these negotiations was expressed by General Weygand. The Tangier newspaper, “Depeche Mairocaine,” yesterday published the following from Rabat: “Certain, foreign radio stations have broadcast reports of France having accepted terms incompatible with her national honour. The Residency-General ha,s received from the French Government information which permits it to affirm that the said reports are devoid of all foundation,.”