AMERICA DEMANDS VICHY INTENTIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1941, Page 7

AMERICA DEMANDS VICHY INTENTIONS

SHADOW OF NAZIS Petain "Drops Mask" Under Hitler's Pressure United Tress Association.—Copyright. Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, May 21. The Associated Press of America says it is learned authoritatively in Washington that the United States has made the equivalent of a diplomatic demand on Vichy for a forthright declaration in writing of France's intentions regarding collaboration with Germany. A Washington message says the State Department has announced that the United States has been asked to withdraw its diplomatic staff from Paris by June 10. The United Press understands that all other diplomatic staffs in Paris have been notified likewise. It is learned that M. Chartier, the Vichy Government's Consul-General in London, left at the request of the British Government as a result of the expulsion of Mr. Havard, British Consul-General in Syria, from Lebanon. With the German request to the United States to withdraw its diplomatic representatives from Paris, also a conference of Vichy Ministers in Paris, and German emphasis that the French "now realise they have no choice but to submit-'" France's relations with the democratic world merge with the new and more crucial developments in the war situation. The "Daily Telegraph's" correspondent on the French frontier says Vichy correspondents agree that the Petain Government has "dropped the mask." Nothing is now heard about adhering to the strict terms of the armistice or of respect for the difficulties of France's former ally. Truth Held From People After the fall of Yugoslavia and Greece, Vichy leaders were convinced that a German victory was inevitable, and have taken care to propagate this belief among the French j people, who have been allowed to I hear little of Italy's defeats in Africa, but much about the prospect of early peace, which, they are told, will by Hitler's magnanimity give France a role in Europe second only to Germany's. Among the advantages Hitler j expects from Vichv's compliance is j the production of a state of affairs ! amounting to war between France ! and Britain, resulting from hostili- j ties between Vichy and the Free J French troops, also from other anti- j Allied action which Vichy admits to be contemplating. Martinique to Itcpel Attack The Berlin radio has announced that the land, sea and air forces at Martinique in the West Indies has received orders "to be prepared to repel any attack." Admiral Darlan. French vicePremier, has seen Laval in Paris. A Vichy message states that the negotiations with Germany are going satisfactorily. It is reported that the American Secretary of State. Mr. Cordell Hull told the Vichy Ambassador, M. Henri Haye, that there can be no satisfactory relations between France and peaceful nations until Vichy proves it is not under German domination says a Washington message Mr Hull told M. Haye that all nations are satisfied pro-Hitler elements control the Vichy Government, and that it is up to the French to show this impression is incorrect