GERMAN ATTEMPTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 6

GERMAN ATTEMPTS

MORE ACTIVE COLLABORATION FROM VICHY LAVAL’S OPPORTUNITY [U P A-ttv Electric leleyiaph-Cooyngnt | LONDON, Bth December. The latest news cf German attempts to get more active collaboration ..from the men of Vichy is a belated announcement in Berlin that M. Laval's visit there has had to be postponed indefinitely. It was reported last week from London that Marshal Petain is believed to have stopped the visit on the grounds that M. Laval would only agree to concessions that Petain and the rest of the Vichy Cabinet could not approve of. The “Sunday Times’' to-day comments on the idea Hitler seems to have entertained in getting French support in place of Italy. The paper says: “It seems clear that in his negotiations with M. Laval Herr Hitler has toyed with the idea of appeasing the men of Vichy by cheating his ally and of obtaining France as a partner in Italy’s place. Up to a point, Italy’s failure is M. Laval’s opportunity.” The paper adds that M. Laval’s opportunity does not go beyond a certain point, because French faith in Britain is steadily reviving, and neither France nor Italy is likely to be impressed by clear evidence that Hitler is again double-crossing.