GENERAL DE GAULLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1940, Page 7

GENERAL DE GAULLE

REPLY TO MARSHAL PETAIN

WHY FRANCE COLLAPSED

Confidence in Revival

[BX CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.]

LONDON, June 26. General de Gaulle, in a broadcast from London, made a direct reply to Marshal Petain’s statement, in which Marshal Petain outlined the Bordeaux Cabinet’s reasons for accepting the Armistice. “In these hours of shame and anger in the Fatherland, one voice will answer Marshal Petain, and that voice will be mine,” said General de Gaulle. France had been struck down, not by the superior effectives or courage of the enemy, but by superior mechanised forces, he said. He placed the blame for France’s collapse on Marshal Petain, who was generalissimo of the Army to 1932, and Minister for War in 1935, and yet, relying on his glorious service in the last war, had reduced his country to servitude. Marshal Petain had played a losing game and thrown down his cards. A feeling of morbid scepticism had accounted for the dissolution of the French forces. But France would rise again in liberty and victory, said General de Gaulle. French armies were now forming, and side by side with their Allies they would achieve victory. DEFEATIST CABINET LONDON, June 26. The South African Minister to France, who has just arrived in England, said that one of the last men he saw in France was General Weygand, who seemed a broken man. He said that he considered the collapse of France was a result mainly of the building of the Maginot Line, which had given the French people a spirit of over-confidence.

M. Reynaud was determined to fight to the last, but, even when he came into power, a large section of •the Cabinet had taken up a defeatist attitude, and never intended to leave France. Thousands of young Frenchmen had wanted to leave France and continue the fight, and it was suggested that they should be evacuated by boat from Bordeaux, but the French Cabinet was interested only in the Armistice. The Minister concluded that the last chapter of the war had been reached. There was no question of any consideration for Fifth Columnists. There were many Quislings in Great Britain, and many more in South Africa.

M. DALADIER ARRESTED?

LONDON, June 27.

The Gibraltar correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says it is reported without confirmation from Casablanca that General Nogues, the French commander in North Africa, ordered the arrest of the former Premier (M. Daladier), who had arrived to confer with him.

Other reports state that the commanders of French warships have given an assurance to General Nogues that they will continue to fight on the side of Britain. The “Daily Telegraph” reports that General Nogues has ignored the Petain Government’s command to return to France immediately.

GENERAL WEYGAND’S APPEAL.

CASABLANCA, June 27.

General Weygand cabled to General Nogues, urging on him that all of the French Army Chiefs and other officers shall maintain their discipline and have faith in the Petain Government, and obey its orders. General Nogues, it is now reported, has sent copies of General Weygand’s cablegram to the French commanders in Morocco, in Algeria, and in Tunis. _

LONDON, June 27.

The Bordeaux correspondent of the Havas News Agency states that the Governors-General of IndoChina and Madagascar have been replaced.

The members of the French community in the Straits Settlements have informed the Governor that they unreservedly place their services at the disposal of Britain.

“HONOUR IS SAVED.”

BORDEAUX, June 27.

General Weygand, in his Order of the Day to the French Army, says: The honour of France is saved. We retain our indestructible confidence in the destiny of France. Keep united! Be confident in your leaders!”

GERMAN WARNING.

LONDON/June 27

The Berlin radio warns Frenchmen against supporting General de Gaulle in London. It adds that the French are forbidden to fight under the armistice terms, and if they fight they will be treated as civilian traitors.

AMBASSADOR RESIGNS.

LONDON, June 27.

The French Ambassador in London (M. Charles Corbin) tendered his resignation to the Petain Government, which has accepted it. M. Corbin infoimed the British Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax) of his decision on Tuesday. A Bordeaux message says M. Baudouin, Foreign Minister in the Petain Cabinet, announced that M. Corbin had resigned, and said the Government did not envisage his immediate replacement. He added that Mr. Churchill’s recent attitude had provoked pained astonishment in France. ANOTHER RESIGNATION. BELGRADE, June 27. M. Brugere, French Minister to Jugoslavia, has resigned. NEW GOVERNORS. (Recd. June 28, 10.30 a.m.) BORDEAUX, June 27. A decree appoints Vice-Admiral

de Coux as Governor-General of Indo-China, instead of General Catroux, who is recalled to France. M. Cayla is appointed GovernorGeneral of Madagascar.

M. de Boisson, at present Gov-ernor-General of French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa, is appointed High Commissioner for French Africa, with authority over West Africa, Equatorial Africa, the Cameroons, and Togoland. M. Beaudouin has issued a statement, that no French colony will be subjected to foreign occupation. Germany had not broached colonial problems, though Italy did. He added: “The consideration guiding the negotiators was to prevent Germany getting our air force, and we succeeded.”

M. Baudouin estimated that 1,000,000 French soldiers were taken

M. Baudouin added: “We are pained by England’s attitude. She should realise that we avoided handing over the Fleet and the Air Force, which might have been used against her.” Referring to Italy, he emphasised the bond of Christianity binding Latin peoples. He paid a tribute to Spain and mentioned the equitable arrangement for settling French and German antagonisms.

BRITISH BLOCKADE.

LONDON, June 26.

The British blockade has now been extended to France. All vessels leaving or entering occupied French ports will be subject to the usual procedure of contraband control. As Germany may now get supplies through Spain, vessels proceeding to Spanish and Portuguese ports are also liable to search. Vessels passing to unoccupied French territory will have to go via Gibraltar, where there is a control station.

ECONOMIC POSITION.

RUGBY, June 26.

The economic consequences in France of the armistice with Germany and Italy are at present obscure. In normal times, France imported cereals, fruit, and meat to a moderate extent, and fertilisers and feeding stuffs in large quantities. Economic authorities point out that every effort was being made before the war to. supply these deficiencies from the French Colonial Empire. Four million tons of phosphate produced by French Northern Africa was mainly exported to France. . The future position of France’s colonial possessions, therefore, must have a very important effect on the economy of France herself. It is reported that the French coal mines were mostly flooded before or during the German occupation. Important stocks of petrol were destroyed in the north in the first weeks of the invasion. The necessity of carrying on French central services will make large inroads on the stocks which remained and have now come under German control. Raw material for the great French textile industry came from the British Empire and the two Americas, and is likely to be affected by the imposition of the British contraband control on German-occupied French ports.

FRENCH DELEGATES (Recd. June 28, 9 a.m.). BORDEAUX, June 27. General Huntziger has been appointed leader of the French delegation on the French-German Commission. . , j Admiral du Plat has been appointed leader of the delegation on the FrenchItalian Commission. GERMANS REACH SPAIN. (Received June 28, 9.40 a.m.) MADRID, June 27. The United States Embassy says: German advance troops reached the Spanish frontier, opposite Irun, this morning. GERMAN VERSION. (Recd. June 28, 10.45 a.m.) BERLIN, June 27. A communique states: According to the conditions laid down in the armistice agreement, our troops advanced to the Dordogne section, east of Bordeaux.

BRITISH REFUGEES.

(Recd. June 28, 1 p.m.) MADRID, June 27.

Four days ago, the British Embassy was informed a train was being despatched to Spain from Nice- with 500 British refugees. No further news has been received.