The Truth A bout French Morocco

Northern Advocate, 19 November 1941, Page 7

The Truth A bout French Morocco

The first authentic ■news of events and conditions in French Morocco that has come from that silent colony for some time is contained in an article supplied to the London “News Chronicle’’ by George W. Herald, who was chief Paris correspondent of the UnitedPress Bureaux of Holland until the outbreak of the ivar. He enlisted, served with the French Army, was sent to Africa to join the troops on the Libyan border, teas demobilised las December, and has now ynade his way to the United States, via Marseilles, Algiers and . Casablanca.

Mr Herald writes as follows from New York, under date August 29: When I left Casablanca last month there were 200 German officers in the city, all members of the Armistice Commission. They were “protected” by 500 Reichswehr soldiers who lived in the former barracks of the Foreign Legion. Every morning from 8 to 11 they took military exercises on the athletic field near the ocean. French sailors in the harbour were not less active.

An Active Fleet Their day began at six o’clock with 30 minutes of gymnastics, and at seven they were ready for service on the ships. An important part of the French Fleet was anchored in /the | pert. I counted four cruisers out of the 1 j 12 still under Vichy control, 10 torj pedo gunboats out of 20, and five ’ j pocket torpedo-boats out of 12. There was also a surprising number of submarines—at least 15 to 20. Five or six were always on training excursions on the high seas. One evening I saw the Pallas and the Venus return from such a cruise. ' There was an impression of tremendous activity and of unbroken spirit in the port and no sign of defeat. When I asked a naval officer against whom all these zealous preparations were directed, he simply answered, “Against anybody who should attack us.” The Jean Bart Most impressive was a view of the new 35,000-ton Jean Bart, with its powerful yeilow-brown tower. This unit was far from being finished in j June, 1840, when some courageous ■ sailors launched it hurriedly at St. Nazaire while German troops were entering the town. Despite heavy air attacks it reached the high seas and was towed to Casablanca. This was one of the few outstanding exploits of the Battle of France. French naval authorities pretend today that the hull of the Jean Bart cannot be completed because the shipyards of Casablanca lack the necessary equipment. I was told by several harbour officers, howeveb. that the Germans are now secretly furnishing machinery and material for making the vessel seaworthy as quickly as possible. Land Forces Poor While the shores of Morocco seem well protected now, the land forces are in a pretty bad position. General Weygand claims to have improved them steadily during the last year, but many of these assertions are mere propaganda. His army consists mainly ,of four lamentably equipped Spahi regiments, eight regiments of Moors and the dregs of the Foreign Lpgion. They would be supported by about 500 French and Polish aircraft. [Two hundred Polish fliers who wanted to proceed to England via Casablanca last year are still interned in a camp near Rabat.] These forces would be insufficient to check any major German panzer drive coming from Spanish Morocco. What Weygand Thinks If Weygand agreed, the British could perhaps help with troops and material, but since the events in Syria. Weygand considers the British his foes. All the hopes that certain uninformed people put in this 73-year-old reactionary will eventually be shown to have been misplaced. So long as he is in power Morocco will be open to gradual and “peaceful” penetration by the Nazis, who will carefully avoid offending Weygand’s “honour,” so that he will never have to fight.

Population Suspicious No such thing as an official granting of bases need even be expected. All these questions are likely to be settled smoothly and without any publicity. Silent Nazi infiltration has already begun. In the last few months more and more German commercial agents have come into the Protectorate. They are usually amazed at Casablanca’s splendid boulevards and the white marble sky- \ The population continues to regard the Nazis as the 'only real enemy.

"They’ve beaten the Mother Country, but is this a reason to give them Morocco too?” says the man in the street. Much of this feeling is to be credited to the influence of General Nogues, the General Resident, and Sultan Sidi Mohammed, 30-year-old ruler of the Sherifian Empire. In contrast to Weygand, these two highly cultured men ’ (who are close personal friends) are true Liberals, opposed to every form of autocratic government. Some months ago when his representative at Tangier was thrown out of his house because Germans wanted the residence, Mohammed is reported to have said: “One of these days they will come and expel me, too, as they will need my palace for their stathalter. But then they will have to be prepared for a new Riff war.”

United States Influence The United States has tried to encourage this combative spirit by “assistance policy” towards Morocco; this was recommended by Consul Murphy after he had made trips through French North and West Africa, and had been received with such great sympathy by merchants and industrialists that he thought it would be right to help them. But on the same ground the United States could help Norway and Holland also. The American Consul has been obliged to allow Nazis to examine all the United States shipments to Casablanca before they were landed. I think we have to consider Weygand’s Morocco as lost. Unless the British are ready to take it by force the only real assistance the United States can give it at present would be to recognise the Free French movement of De Gaulle in French West Africa. This would immensely galvanise the resistance of the population and might one day lead them to ask for help.