FRENCH RULE IN NORTH AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23812, 4 December 1942, Page 5

FRENCH RULE IN NORTH AFRICA

Admiral Darlan’s Position

STATEMENT BY MR EDEN (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON. Dec. 3. The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) answered questions in the House of Commons about the proclamation by Admiral Darlan saying that he had assumed the responsibilities of head of the State in North Africa. : Mr Eden said that the British Government had not been consulted about the proclamation, and did not consider itself in any way bound by it. A Government statement on developments in North Africa and the position of Admiral Darlan would be made to the House in secret session.

Asked whether any other Allied nation was committed by the proclamation, Mr Eden said: "As far as I know it was a unilateral decision by Admiral Darlan himself.”

Admiral Darlan’s assumption of the powers of Chief of the State in French North Africa and his creation of an Imperial Council, came as a complete surprise to the British Government,” says the diplomatic correspondent of "The Times.” “The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) and his advisers are examining the position, and in the meantime are awaiting full reports from Allied headquarters.”

Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent says: ‘‘Admiral Darlan’s move raises grave questions. For instance, what is his approach to the other half of the French empire, which gives allegiance to General de Gaulle?” Reuter’s correspondent expresses the opinion that Admiral Darlan’s claim to represent French sovereignty is at least questionable. Moreover, Fighting French headquarters denounce the move as a transfer of Vichy to Algiers, and say that, like Vichy, it is an illegal assumption of power. Mr Roosevelt’s statement of November 17—“ The future French government will not be established by any individual in metropolitan France or overseas, but by the French people themselves”—is now recalled.

FRENCH WEST AFRICA

DISCUSSIONS ON USE OF DAKAR (8.0. W.) RUGBY. Dec. 2. The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) informed the House of Commons that discussions were in progress between the High Commissioner for French West Africa and the United States authorities at Algiers on the use of the port of Dakar and other facilities in West Africa. Replying to a question about the release of Fighting French prisoners from African territories, Mr Eden said' that everything possible was being done, and he believed that many already had been released.

FOOD PROBLEM IN FRANCE

LOSS OF AFRICAN SUPPLIES (Rcc. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK. Dec. 2. “Semi-official statements from Vichy emphasising the importance of the loss of supplies from Africa indicate that the feeding of France is becoming an increasingly serious problem,” says the Berne correspondent of the "New York Times.” “Already 25 per cent, of the population is suffering hunger. Another 25 per cent, is showing signs of reduced resistance because of malnutrition. The increased number of occupation troops is an additional burden.”

REVIEW OF U.S. WAR EFFORT

LOSSES COMPARED WITH JAPAN’S

“TOUGH PERIOD AHEAD IN ATLANTIC” (Rcc. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 2

American intelligence officers estimate that since Pearl Harbour the Japanese have lost 250,000 men killed or permanefitly injured, of whom about 37.000 are naval casualties, amounting to 10 per cent, of Japanese naval personnel. This was disclosed in a speech today by the United Slates Secretary of the Navy (Colonel Knox), who added that United States casualties were 50.000 killed and missing, including 30.000 in the Philippines. American naval losses represented about 1 per cent, of personnel, and the estimated comparative losses of ships and aeroplanes were equally encouraging. “We have a larger and more powerful Navy, measured in tonnage, air power, or anything else, than the day before Pearl Harbour or after it.” he ' Colonel Knox acknowledged that America in the war effort had displayed timidity, hesitancy, inefficiency, confusion, waste, and all the other things critics alleged, but she had also converted the greatest peaceful plant into the greatest arsenal in history. maintained the four freedoms and solvency at home, equipped armies for the south Pacific, Britain, and Africa, and operated her Navy in all Colonel Knox added: "We might as well face the hard fact that a tough period is directly ahead in the Atlantic where the African operations have tremendously increased the Navys task. We have made a good start in Africa, but we may have to pay a price in losses from submarine attacks in the next four months. We know the Axis has a large and growing submarine fleet in the Atlantic, more being trained in the Baltic.” Summing up the American war effort, Colonel Knox said: “If we have been ankle deep in the war in 1942, we shall be in up to the neck in 1943, and until we are in this thing up >( to the neck we can’t hope to end it.” The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that American submarines have now sunk or damaged 148 Japanese ships, including 43,000 tons of merchant shipping.

R.A.F. RAID ON FRANKFURT

(Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 3. Royal Air Force bombers attacked targets in western Germany last night, Frankfurt being the main objective. Six of the bombers did not return.

TOWN ON BRITISH COAST RAIDED

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 3. The first German night raid on Britain for a month was made on a southeast coast town last night. _lt was a small affair, causing only slight damage and casualties.

Civilian Prisoners in Hong Kong.— The Colonial Office has received a report from the Red Cross delegate in Hong Kong saying that he is visiting the Stanley camp regularly, and that conditions there are satisfactory. The Stanley internment camp is being used by the Japanese for the accommodation of civilians— Rugby, December 2.