JOINS THE ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 60, 4 December 1942, Page 5

JOINS THE ALLIES

Third Toulon Submarine NEW YORK, December 2.

Morocco radio says that the French submarine Le Glorieux arrived at Algiers from Toulon via Valencia, Spain. [This makes the third Toulon submarine to join the Allies. The two others arrived in North Africa last week. A fourth submarine from Toulon, the Iris, arrived at Barcelona and was interned.]

The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, expressed the opinion that the four submarines which were reported to have escaped from Toulon were the only units of the French fleet that were not destroyed or damaged. However, other informed authorities said that one aerial reconnaissance revealed that 10 or 12 ships were apparently intact. The remainder of the fleet was sunk or badly damaged. It was added that the best French vessels had been sunk or disabled for a long time. The Tass (Russian) news agency says it is reported from Berne that the French garrison at Montpellier resisted Hitler’s demobilization order, and that S.S. troops had to fight their way into the barracks. A number were killed or wounded on both sides. The Germans arrested about 600 marines who refused to lay down their arms at Marseilles.

Semi-official statements from Vichy emphasizing 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 are suffering from hunger, and another 25 per cent, are showing signs of reduced resistance because malnutrition has increased. The number of occupation troops is an additional burden.