USE BY GERMAN AIRCRAFT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 16 May 1941, Page 5

USE BY GERMAN AIRCRAFT

Britain, it adds, is nouna oy ner uvclaration of July, 1940, in what was stated that she could “not allow Syria to be occupied by a hostile Power, or ’• be used as a base for attacks on other " countries in the Middle East.” It is . t believed that the implications of this 1 e declaration are now under discussion 1 between Vichy, London and Washing- " ton. s Mr Eden, in his statement In the Y House of Commons, said, “The policy which has been adopted and declared by France is collaboration with GerL many within certain limits, which have not, so far as I am aware, been clearly defined. DETAILS OF RECENT PACT i. “The agreement with Germany of - sth May provides, according to the offie cial announcement issued at Vichy, for >. alleviation of the restrictive measures u regarding the line of demarcation be- ' tween occupied and unoccupied France, and for reduction of the costs of the j occupation from 400,000,000 to 300,000,i 000 francs daily. The line of demarca- " tion would, according to the communique, be open generally for the passage of goods between the two zones, and also for persons in case of the serious illness of near relatives. “The dispatch of plain from one zone to the other was also to >. be authorised, and soldiers and airmen t were to be allowed to pass from one ;. zone to the other under conditions which hitherto applied to sailors only. “No official announcement has been made regarding what may have been conceded by France in return for these so-called concessions, but the agree- * ment is described in Vichy as a new step along the path of collaboration.” 1 MR EDEN’S COMMENT c When questioned in the House of Commons regarding French policy, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Eden, referred to the agreement of sth May, ' in which economic concessions by Germany were announced, and commented, “Whatever concessions p Admiral Darlan may have agreed e to, I find it hard to believe that the 0 French people, helpless though they may be to prevent systematic German spoliation of their resources, [_ will be so false to their noble traditions as to work actively of their i own free will for the German cause I and thus prolong the period of their own sufferings and postpone the day of their own liberation.” r NAZI PLANES REPORTED IN IRAQ The official news agency in Vichy announced that two German planes landed on an aerodrome in the region of 1 Mosul. It is not known whether they were civil or military machines, for >• which reason it is unwise to deduce n that this iz the start of military aid to e Iraq. The Ankara newspapers publish una confirmed reports that German bombers have arrived at Mosul, Iraq. s FRENCH TO KILL CATTLE d Vichy, May 14. d The Minister of Agriculture, M. is Caziot, announced that 1,200,000 head of n cattle are to be slaughtered because e fodder is 4,410,000 tons below the it amount required. This was a result of •- last season’s poor harvest, the ravages ?s of the war, and the blockade. y

Permission Given by Vichy PROPER ACTION TAKEN BY BRITAIN | British Official Wireless] (Rec. 1 0.45 a.m.) Rugby, May 1 5. One grave statement was made in the House of Commons by Mr Eden, Foreign Secretary, when replying to a question regarding the position in Syria. He said: “Detailed information at the disposal of the British Government shows that the French authorities in Syria are allowing German aircraft to use Syrian aerodromes as starting i posts for flights to Iraq. His Majesty’s Government has in consequence given full authority for action to be taken against these German aircraft on Syrian aerodromes. The French Government cannot escape responsibility for this position. Its action under German orders in permitting these flights is a clear breach of the armistice terms and is inconsistent with the undertakings given by the French Government.” Replying to a supplementary question, Mr Eden said proper ’ action had been taken. A further question suggested that since Vichy had left the [ League of Nations the French mandate no longer existed. Mr Eden 1 said there was certainly force in the suggestion and he would look 1 into the matter. The United States has been informed of what is taking place. [ In view of Mr Eden’s revelation it is recalled that on 7th April Marshal Petain. broadcasting an appeal for national unity, said: “Honour forbids us to take any fiction against our former allies, but ‘ the integrity of the country demands that the sources of our vital supplies should be preserved. It is against these needs that dissident ■ propagandists are daily in revolt. The blood of Frenchmen has already flowed in fratricidal fighting. That is enough.