THE POST-WAR FRANCE

Evening Star, Issue 26091, 3 May 1947, Page 9

THE POST-WAR FRANCE

UNITY THROUGH TRIBULATION WORK OF RESISTANCE MOVEMENT France to-day was more united than' it was before the war, M. Frederick Megret, a visiting French journalist, told a meeting of the French Club on Thursday night. A tremendous upsurge of nationalism had been created by -the resistance movement during the war, and frorii the tribulations of the occupation . had l emerged a great moral strength. 51. siegret, who is a correspondent of the Paris ‘ Soir,’ one of France’s leading newspapers, and Mile. Gillette Delmas, of the French Ministry of Information, gave a lecture to the members of the’ club, in which they spoke of the impact of the war on Franco and the gradual building up of the resistance movement. 5111 e. Delmas, who served with the general secretariat, of the French underground movement during the war, said that when the collapse came it was totally unexpected, and a hopeless feeling that the occupation would be a long one had grown up. 5 Gradually, however, the resistance movement had been organised throughout, the country. The isolated resistance groups had been united by the clandestine newspapers, which brought to them news that they would not otherwise have received There were almost 200 of these newspapers being published, with a combined circulation exceeding 3,000,000. This linking up, of the movenjent meant that espionage work and sabotage were highly.'organised, and the personnel responsible for the task were well qualified. A national council had been set up to co-ordinate the work of patriots’ bands, and at tunes as many as 100 local groups would be working on the one exploit. \ Tho story was taken up by M. Megret. who outlined the manner in \yhich contact was established between the underground movement and General de Gaulle’s London headquarters, M. Megret and sllle Delmas, who are touring New Zealand, will lekve to-mor-row for the North Island.