DARLAN AND THE NAZIS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23216, 31 December 1940, Page 5

DARLAN AND THE NAZIS

“ TOUGHER NUT THAN

M. LAVAL”,

(Received December 30, 8 p.m.)

LONDON, December 29.

The diplomatic correspondent of “The Times” says the Germans are apparently finding Admiral Darlan, the French Minister for the Navy, who recently returned to Vichy from Paris, where he met a “very high personage,” a tougher nut than M. Laval, above all on naval questions.

The possession of southern France, he adds, would not be an economic advantage to the Germans, who would run a grave fisk of the French Navy escaping and Marshal Petain establishing the' Government in North Africa.' A large number of naval ratings from unoccupied France will shortly' land at Algiers “on leave,” says the “Sunday Times, “but the radio at Algiers states that they are going *to Nortel Africa for a year’s stay. Early to-day the Vichy Cabinet was reported to have reached decisions on the reports brought back from Paris by Admiral Darlan. Marshal Petain to-day broadcast a message to the youth of France who, he said, were paying for mistakes not their own. This was a hard war, but conditions must be accepted, and not kicked against. France must prepare for a better to-morrow.

■ He went- on to say that winter would be followed by spring and it was the duty of the youth of France to bring that springtime to their country. The German-controlled Paris radio to-day complained about a strong antiGerman feeling in occupied France. The speaker said:, “Somehow the country must be tid of such people who, through snobbery or stupidity, side with the worst enemies of France.”