FRENCH WARSHIPS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 177, 27 July 1940, Page 9

FRENCH WARSHIPS

PREPARING FOR SEAi Operations With British Navy Already Begun. HOSTILITY IN MOROCCO. British Official Wireless. (Received 2.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 26. Steps are already well advanced for manning the French warships which arrived at British ports before the signing of the armistice between France and Germany. ' A number of Frenchj ships of varying sizes are now being manned and prepared for sea entirely by Freneh officers and men of the free French naval forces, of which Admiral Muselier is the head. He was appointed to this post by General de Gaulle some time ago. One chip, manned entirely by Frenchmen, has already been at sea. taking an active and successful part in the operations. In addition, French ships which cannot be manned by free French naval forces are being manned chiefly by British crews, assisted by a nucleus of French ratings. These ships will fly both the Tricolour and the White Ensign. Other Allied naval forces are also helping to man French ships.

l*rench ships in the above categories will come under the general direction of the British Admiralty, and it is hoped many will be at sea shortly carrying out operations in the common cause.

The situation at Casablanca, Morocco, is uncertain, states the Tangier correspondent of "The Time?." The port is carefully guarded. The French naval authorities are hostile to tlie British. Vice-Admiral O'livc. commanding the fleet, is very anti-British.

Roar-.Admiral Sal)let, who commanded the naval establishments in ?doroeco. i* pro-Briti-b. but lie was removed just before the armistice, making way for Bear-Admiral D'Harcourt, who is antiBritish. The discipline of the French naral ratines is deteriorating, the correspondent. From 12 to 20 British ships are believed to be detained i;i Morocsan ports, where their crviv- ar-: interned or under arrest. The junior ranks of the air force generally are favourable to Britain, but the attitude of the higher ranks is uncertain. The order to bomb Gibraltar was most unpopular, and was deliberately carried out in an inefficient manner. The native situation in Morocco is disturbed. The Moroccans object to their transfer from one Power to another like cattle. The nationalist spirit is increasing, but i v .e m'.ivra have no arms.