DIVIDING FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 218, 13 September 1940, Page 5

DIVIDING FRANCE.

LATEST NAZI TACTICS SOME FRENCH HELPERS. It is clear that Paris to-day is the rival of Vichy—just as the Paris Commune was the rival of the "legal"'' Government of Versailles in 1871. Only', who are the rulers of Paris? Technically, there is no rival Paris Government apart from the German military authorities; and yet, it is clear that there are Frenchmen who are either acting as the agents of Germany or are fishing in the troubled . waters of the French people's bewilderment and discontent. The newspapers published in Paris are extremely characteristic in this respect (writes the former correspondent of the London "Sunday Times"). Thus "La France au Travail," a new paper, protests against the suggestion that the Petain Government may establish itself in Paris: "The thieves, the bourgeoisie, the profiteers, and the Jews, and those who advertise their highmindedness, will shout 'Vive Petain,' and again the social revolution will be jettisoned. If you want the end of the regime of corruption you must use every means. These miserable creatures must not be allowed to play the role of French dictators." Nazi Work "Advantag The paper thereupon proceeds to enumerate all the great advantages the working class in Germany have derived from the Xazi regime, "under which the workers have been admitted into national community." And, after attacking M. Baudouin "attempting to negotiate with the; British assassins," the paper adds: I "France does not want to deal with) them. The true France only wants to avenge the dead of Dunkirk and Oran. That is what France expects from heri Government, which will be neither thatl l of De C.aulle nor of Baudouin. If London I wants to blackmail us by keeping the [gold of the Bank of Ranee stolen toi

the last penny to are sterling, London is mistaken. France does not need any gold, in the fraternal Europe of work." A Special Purpose. This is Nazi propaganda; but X'ad propaganda with a sjtecial purpose. Its purpose is not to increase the prosperity of the slave-driven French working class, but to increase the mental confusion and bewilderment among tha workers; to divide France still mora than she is already divided in her hour of distress; and to render the prospects of a united French national movement more remote. - The policy of Germany is to weaken the Petain Government, both morally and materially. Disloyalty to Petain is preached by every possible means; and it is easy because, with its sen ile aping of Fascism, and with its shameful surPetain Government can never be popular in France; at the same time, its material difficulties are being hopelessly increased by Germany'* refusal to let food enter unoccupied France, with, its eight or ten million refugees, and by her refusal to let these refugees retura to their hom«s in the occupied zones.