HIS WEST FOR BRITISH SURRENDER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 181, 2 August 1945, Page 5

HIS WEST FOR BRITISH SURRENDER

WHEN TRANCE FELL

Long And Painful Story In White Paper N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 1. New chapters of the long and painful story of the British Government's attempts to make arrangement with Vichy in the autumn, 1940, are revealed in a White Paper, says The Times diplomatic correspondent. Mr. Churchill told part of the story in the House of Commons on June 12 and more appeared in the Foreign Office statement of July 17. The need for the White Paper became urgent when Professor Rougier, who visited London secretly on behalf of Vichy late in 1940, published a book in America earlier this year flatly stating that he concluded a gentleman's agreement between London and Vichy. The White Paper tells the story fully and includes four new points of historical interest. They are:— (1) Britain, after tne fall of France, rejected enemy suggestions that she should make peace at the expense of France. One suggestion was that Italy and Germany should be given French overseas territories. Britain, however, upheld her determination to fight on until complete victory was won, reiterated the promise that France should share the victory and would be restored to her former greatness and strength. (2) The full text of the message which the King sent to Petain on October 25, 1940, the day after Petain concluded agreements with Hitler at Montoire, expressed unbroken friendship towards France and confidence that the rulers of France would not help the enemy. Petain's reply was brusque, to a point of discourtesy. (3) Evidence reached London late in 1940 that units of the French Fleet were about to try to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar in an attempt to win back the de Gaullist African colonies. Britain would have opposed an attempt with force and for some time there was a fear of war between Britain and Vichy.

LONDON, Aug. 1

(4) Britain did everything to avert the possibility of war with Vichy, both for sentimental reasons and because, fighting alone, she could not afford to add to her enemies. The Government, therefore, was even ready to assure Vichy that there would be no attempt to retake Dakar if Vichy, in return, refrained from attacks on territories which had already declared for General de Gaulle.

In the House of Commons on June 12 Mr. Churchill made a statement concerning the 1940 negotiations between the British Government and the Vichy Government. Mr. Churchill's statement was made to correct reports to the effect that the British Government had effected an agreement with Marshal Petain after the visit to London of his emissary, Professor Rougier. Rougier's book, giving a distorted account of his mission to London, reached the Foreign Office and was found to contain not only a wholly misleading interpretation of British policy, but also certain serious mis-statements of fact. It was officially stated in London that Rougier brought to London no proposals for an agreement with Vichy, and was never authorised to make any such proposals on behalf of the British Government to Petain or any other Vichy authority.