PRESSURE ON VICHY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 45, 21 August 1941, Page 9

PRESSURE ON VICHY

NAZI SUBTLETY

USE OF FRENCH PRISONERS

OF WAR

LONDON, August 20. The Germans admit using French prisoners of war as a means of exerting pressure on Vichy. A German official in Paris today told the German-controlled newspapers that the release of French prisoners of war in future would depend on Vichy's policy towards Germany. When M. Laval was put out of office Berlin considered Laval's dismissal as an antiGerman move. The Vichy representative in Washington called oh Mr. Cordell Hull. American Secretary of. State, and explained that United States newspapers had misinterpreted recent speeches by Marshal Petain. He gave assurances that none of the recent acts by the Vichy Government indicated military collaboration with Germany or the use of the French fleet. Neither Germany nor Vichy find it easy to suppress French resistance. The Paris radio announced that two men had been shot for demonstrating

against Germany. The gauleiter (German leader) in Alsace quoted orders stating that anyone speaking against the Germans would be hanged. Anyone speaking French when he knew German would be punished by a year iii a concentration camp. Anyone listen* ing to.foreign radios would be punished by three to five years in a concentration camp. Anyone found wearing I a certain type of beret would be punished by a year in a concentration camp. . *