VICHY PROTESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 64, 12 September 1942, Page 7

VICHY PROTESTS

"NO STRATEGIC REASON FOR AGGRESSION"

(Rec. 9 a.m.) XONDON, Sept. 12. Vichly and Paris, leading a loud chorus from Axis-controlled radio.stations, protested against the British action m Madagascar. Vichy radio says: "No strategic reason justified the new aggression on the west coast of Madagascar. There are no bases suitable tor naval craft, and the nature of the coast makes the establishment of bases impossible." LONDON, September 11. An official announcement from Vichy says that British motorised columns are advancing on Antananarivo, the capital, and that another i column is battling towards Antsirabe, which is south of Antananarivo. Later, the Vichy radio stated that British forces were in the neighbourhood of Maevatanana, 300- miles north of the capital, at nightfall on Septem-i ber 10. The French were resisting at the River Betsiboka. M. Laval stated Madagascar "will be defended to the utmost, but unfortunately France has not as large a force there as she would have liked So far, according to telegrams, only British soldiers are in Madagascar, but the United States officially supports the action, and this places her in a position of responsibility for the attack equal with England." It is estimated in Vichy that the British haye two divisions in Madagascar, giving them an overwhelming superiority. The French forces now have only about 1500 men, mostly natives, says Vichy.

The Vichy Government met, and Marshal Petain expressed sympathy with and confidence in the soldiers and people of Madagascar, who were fighting against "brutal British aggression."

The "Daily Mail" reports that diplomatic circles say that complete control of Madagascar, which is the key to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, is necessary to prevent intelligence leaking to the Axis from Vichy officials. It is known that Japanese planes have been allowed to reconnoitre without hindrance from the Vichy part of the island, and that supplies have been furnished to Japanese submarines. Two Japanese naval officers who had landed from a submarine were captured near Diego Suarez. It is also known that local officials under Vichy orders assisted German agents who reached the island.