Other Elements Stronger Than Government

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 5, 7 January 1941, Page 5

Other Elements Stronger Than Government

xl VENTS IN FRANCE LONDON, Jan. 3. The United btates Ambassador to France, Admiral Leahy, who is arriving in France from America, will find elements far stronger than the Government, says the Loudon Daily Telegraph. He is understood to bear a message from President Roosevelt expressing a desire to assist Marshal Retain in any way should the Government be obliged to withdraw to Africa, but intimating that the United States would take an opposite attitude in tbe event of further capitulations to Germany. The Telegraph says that Marshal Retain’s refusal to reinstate the former Foreign Minister Laval, who was deposed because of his pro-Nazi leanings, clearly intimates to the Germans thut ho will brook no interference with the composition of the Government. M. Boudouin’s disappearance from Cabinet removes a further dubious element. M. Flandiu’s retention may be regarded as Marshal Retain’s only sop to Germany', but M. Flandin’s influence i« considerably restricted. He cannot conduct a personal foreign policy, because on all major issues he must consult two of his colleagues. Admiral Darlan and General Hunt* ziuger, says the Telegraph, have now the final say in French policy, and politicians of the old school are being dropped. This accords with the general French feeling, which has rallied to Marshal Petain very considerably in the past few weeks. A fresh sign of independence is the inclusion in the consultative assembly of representatives of Lorraine and Alsace on the grounds that their annexation was not to be legally effective before peace was signed.