FRANCO AND PETAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 38, 14 February 1941, Page 7

FRANCO AND PETAIN

' MEETING IN SOUTH OF FRANCE

LONDON, February 13

General Franco met Marshal Petain in the south.of France today. They had lunch together, and had a conversation which lasted 80 minutes. After the meeting General Franco left in a procession of 25 cars heavily escorted by police.

It was announced in Vichy that during the visit Senor Suner, the Spanish Foreign Minister, and Admiral Darlan, French Navy Minister, conferred in another room.

Little is known about yesterday's meeting between General Franco and Signor Mussolini. The Stefani (Italian) news agency adds little to the official comment. It say,s that the matters discussed included the reorganisation of Europe and questions concerning the Mediterranean and Africa, and adds that there was perfect identity of views on these points, but beyond the broad generalisation there is no suggestion of any definite action by Spain of the kind the Axis Powers have Been urging.

A United Press report from Rome says that a strict censorship has been imposed on any speculation about the meeting in cables sent out from Italy. Spain, too, has little to say about the meeting, and reference to it made in Spanish broadcasts suggests that this is a deliberate policy.

(Received February 14, 1 p.m.)

LONDON, February 13,

Vichy reports that Marshal Petain had lunch with General Franco at Montpellier, after which they began talks in which Senor Suner, Admiral Darlan, and MM. Peyrouton and Pietrj participated: