FRANCE’S FALL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1940, Page 6

FRANCE’S FALL

FRESH LIGHS THROWN

ON THE GREAT COLLAPSE

The author of this article was for 25 j years editor of' France’s great paper, Le Petit Parisien. When war broke out lie started a campaign for an Anglo-French pledge against a separate peace with Germany. He was in close contact with all the personalities concerned in France’s capitulation last June.

ft is not too late to throw fresh light on the astounding and apparent-: ly incomprehensible conditions under which the resistance to the Nazis! broke down.

The resignation of the Premier CM. Paul Reynaud) and the constitution of the Retain Government were announced in Bordeaux on Sunday, June 16, at about 10 p.m. Both foj-! lowed upon the successive meetings of' the Council of Ministers in which the question of capitulation pure and; simple or resistance with departureto North Africa were debated.

In order to prevail over that section of the. Government, led by M. 'Mandel, which implacably maintained that neither admit her-, self conquered or ‘break her jpledged word to Britain, those who demanded on armistice had recourse, during the evening meeting of Saturday, June 15, to the following stratagem: “Why speak of dishonoring ‘ourselves ?” they argued. “We ar e not going to ask for an armistice! We are certainly not capitulating! We are merely going to .ask the German Government ,to inform us of its .peace conditions. If they are acceptable.— that is to say, compatible with honour—.we shall communicate them to the British Government, and we shall i negotiate an armistice. If they are not honorable, then we shaTl proclaim resistance to the end, and .tfie Government will go to North Africa.” This trap, which M. Reynaud himself perceived only too late, allowed; those members of the Cabinet who were; hesitating before declaring .themselves] to quiet -their conscience, and in 'the ] end the majority did not wait even for a reply 'from President Roosevelt to a .new appeal by M. Reynaud Tor American aid.

As for the instigators of this man- ; oeuvre, they /knew what they were doing. France was caught inescapably, in the grinding cog-wheels of capitulation. On the teeth of those she must be crushed.

For our part, we French people : were not fooled. I can see, as clearly as if I were re-living the night of Sunday to .Monday, June 16-17, cop. leagues of M. .Mandel, Minister of: the Interior in the-Cabinet which dis-; appeared, arriving one after another at the Prefecture of Police, where-he] was being detained. Notable among* them were M. Marin, the patriot of ; Lorraine, and leader of ‘ the -Right group, “Federation Republicane,” M. Monnet, the Socialist, and other - nolitical personalities, all of them dismayed, in their, love of their country, -by the prospect of the morrow. ■lt was scarcely, possible to preserve the feeble pretence that when Hitler’s conditions became known, the new Government would suddenly haft on the-brink of the abyss before easiinor itself -over. But ttlie new Cabinet did endeavour to put about .this idea. Indeed, the Foreign Minister, TSt. Baudouin, gave liis assurance to the diplomats wlio sought him out. a I have' it from M. Zalesld, the Polish Foreign Minister,' whose word cannot be doubted, that M. Baudouin declared to him formally, on 'Monday, June 17, that the .Retain Cabinet was a continuance of the Reynaud Cabinet, that Ml Reynaud was entirely in agreement with him. This fact proves that the conspiracy to bring .'about peace with Germany had been "minutely prepared. M. Baudouin himself madejus contribution to it when in a recent declaration, in which lie displayed exemplary deference to the Axis, and paT•tkttWly to Italy, lie envisaged a future Latin federation uniting with the fasces of Rome and the falanges of Spain; a France enslaved under the shadow of the swastika !

During 'those confused hours of that tragic fortnight, which will never be forgotten by those who lived through it, the conspirators— there is no other word—at times felt the ground tremble beneath their feet. They were afraid they would not succeed. .It was during one of these periods that they persuaded Marshal Petain to order the arrest of the Minister of the Interior, M. Mandel. The latter Avas in -'a restaurant when an officer entered, clasped his hand, on M Handel’s shoulder, and’ ordered him to go to the Prefecture, where lie was provisionally detained. M Jeanneney and M. Harriot, the .Chairman of the French Senate, and of the Chamber of Deputies had been informed, protested direct to the resident of the French. Ucpuhlic, who demanded the release of H. Mandel. The Marshal, who did., not understand what was going on. excused as an error what was in fact premeditated act. M. Mandel de,mnded apologies, which were accorded to him.

hater, with the nass'n"\ of time, when, as T hope, this nightmare will. l,e no more than a sad memory, the most astounding features will appear