VICHYATED DIPLOMACY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1942, Page 4

VICHYATED DIPLOMACY

1 During the year 1941 the diplomatic handling of two Governments that were neutral but under suspicion drifted more or less into the hands of the United Stales. ; Tt became the | special mission of the State Departiment, under Mr. Cordell Hull and Mr. Simmer Welles, !o keep Japan out of the war, and to persuade the Vichy Government from re-entering ihe war on the Axis side. Everyone knows how the diplomatic duel between America and Japan ended. While Kurusu was still, fencing at Washington with a blunted rapier, his Japanese masters struck Hawaii with a very sharp sword, and the diplomatic interlude ended. The Vichy Government, however, still makes an outward show of military neutrality. Vichy does not deny that unoccupied France is supplying Hitler with the munitions of war, but probably would not admit a breach of Tunisian neutrality in the matter of transporting European supplies to Rommel's Axis army in North Africa. Suspicion, however, goes farther than charging Vichy with militarily helping the Axis from Tunis. It is suspected that Vichy will, in the finale, place the French fleet and Fiance's Mediterranean and Atlantic bases at Hitler's disposal; and some commentators are inclined to connect the return of the repaired French battleship Dunkerque to Toulon with the Scharnhorst-Gneisenau dash from Brest to Germany. Still more widespread is the suspicion that French and Italian naval power will be amalgamated to regain control of the Mediterranean Sea, to drive the British fleet out of the Levant, and to help Rommel to conquer Egypt. However much suspicions may be discounted, it has to be admitted that Vichy could, by a single stroke, release against the Allies great naval forces which could profoundly modify the strategical situation unfavourably to the Allies; therefore it is not astonishing to hear that the United States Department of State, through Mr. Sumner Welles, is making the Dunkerque incident the subject of special inquiries in Vichy. Parallels must not be pursued too far; but is it not possible that Vichy could, like Japan, close the diplomatic chapter with one short, sharp action?

No one, however, would like to see Mr. Sumner Welles receive such a shock as was received on December 7 by his respected chief, Mr. Cordell ■Hull, now on furlough.