The Dominion WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1940- FRANCE STILL FIGHTING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 226, 19 June 1940, Page 8

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1940FRANCE STILL FIGHTING

In the past 24 hours it has become clear that the Petain Comment of France did not, and probably does not, intend a capittlationto lhe enemy on any tenns. This tempers the grave new of the situation. It suggests that th , ere ’V Lt on Fnnc e ° S Britain’s offer of union being accepted. Such a move.on Fra . part would seem, indeed, to be the only one dictated by lealit. P Hitler’s terms for peace with France have yet to be voiced (Mussolini will have no real say in this)., but no one, “ c^ )er Marshal Petain, can be under any illusion as to what those term, are likely to be. They will not be compatible with the national honour which M. Baudouin, the new Government’s Foreign Minister, has declared must be upheld even if it means a sacrifice: of a . even if the terms were to appear in moderate gmse-who woi!d take the word, put trust in the good faith, of the Nazi Leader? .Mho can imagine that Hitler will meet Marshal Petain as between soldiers after a fight” and seek “with honour” a just peace for France? 1 The veteran soldier who has become France s Premier at this fateful time is seeking a chivalry which is non-existent in the Naz pattern. The civilized world can but hope that, for France s sake, he will turn from this vain quest. If he does, then may Prauc:e, wounded though she is, continue to fight on as a nation one wt Britain. If he does not, Britain, with the Empire beside hei, fights on — and fights to win.