A TWOFOLD MOVE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 25 October 1940, Page 5

A TWOFOLD MOVE

PACIFY FRANCE AND INVOLVE SPAIN HITLER’S APPARENT DESIRE The “Daily Telegraph” says Herr Hitler’s apparent desire to pacify France and involve Spain pre-supposes that both must believe in a German victory. As Laval must know that any respect the Vichy Government’s supporters enjoy is vested solely in Marshal Petain, who must be overthrown before a Quisling regime can be introduced in France. The French air force has demonstrated its dislike of domination by refusing offers of £9O plus good pay for training German pilots and taking over routine duties to relieve Germans for combative work. Most correspondents agree that the disposition and ultimate destination of the French fleet and North' African air force figure largely in the discussions between Herr Hitler and M. Laval. These questions earlier caused inter-Cabinet strife in Vichy, where opponents of collaboration against Britain are reported to include Generals Weygand and Huntziger and many members of Cabinet, on the ground that the rench people would oppose such action and might even revolt. French leaders remaining in Paris are reported, to support M. Laval’s proGerman leanings. Well-informed French quarters in London believe that Herr Hitler’s decision to confer with M. Laval was due to his failure to end the war quickly, also the danger of French becoming over-impressed by Britain’s stubborn resistance and increasingly hoping for a British victory. The “Basler Nachrichten’s" Berlin correspondent says the Hitler-Laval meeting is part of a great Axis political offensive aimed to prevent the United States’ entry into the war by the creation of events before the Presidential election, thus completely excluding such a possibility.