PLANES AND FLEET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 26 June 1940, Page 6

PLANES AND FLEET

TO BE HANDED OVER TO ENEMY FRENCH DEFENCES TO BE RAZED MEDITERRANEAN BASES TO BE DEMILITARISED BROADCAST BY PETAIN [U.P.A. —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 26th June, 215 p.m.) LONDON. 25th June. Marshal Petain, in a broadcast, announced that France was handing over her planes and her fleet to Germany and Italy, also French defences were being razed and Mediterranean bases demilitarised. He declared that France had already lost the war when Italy entered the conflict.” “You do not achieve victory with gold and raw materials,” he said. “Victory depends on equipment and numbers. About 10,000,000 French and 1,500.000 Belgian refugees blocked roads and hindered the High Command, and caused indescribable disorder and wretchedness.” Marshal Petain described the armistice terms as severe. * The “Daily Telegraph” says that General Norgues issued a fiery appeal tc French native populations in North Africa, declaring that not an inch of I French territory would be given up to | Italy. General Weygand has ordered i General Nogues to Bordeaux. It is not | known whether General Nogues has j complied.