ACTION ENDORSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20649, 27 December 1941, Page 5

ACTION ENDORSED

FREE FRENCH SEIZURE RESULT OF PLEBISCITE (Reed. Dec. 27, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 26. The ships under Admiral Muselier vhich took possession of the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelor, 'd not sail from British ports \dmiral Muselier acted on his owr initiative. General De Gaulle cabled his congratulations to Admiral Muse'ier. The correspondent of the Associated of Great Britain at St. Pierre disclosed that four French ships vhich occupied St. Pierre and -liquelon were part of a group which eft an eastern Canadian port on December 22 for manoeuvres at sea nd suddenly slipped away on a mysterious mission. A plebiscite in St. Pierre and liquelon resulted in 98 per cent. • , °ing in favour of the Free French

Six hundred and fifty cut of a total of 760 voted to the Free Frenc’’ 'bile 10 were pro-Axis and 10C vere adjudged void. The spokesman of the Free Fre- I '-' Drees in London said Admiral Muselier occupied St. Pierre an' Miquelon because he was absolutely "ertain that the populations desire' 'o resume (.he fight at the side o' he Allies for the liberation of France and for the cause of liberty ’be fact that he succeeded in competing the occupation without incidnt proved that he was acting solely i conformity with the will of the interested populations. A Washington message says that he French Embassy spokesman said he Free French coup at St. Pierre id Miquelon was a blunder of th' ; rst magnitude and worse tha--Dakar. He expressed gratification bat the United States had promptly Associated itself from the seizure.