FRENCH INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23721, 30 July 1940, Page 8

FRENCH INQUIRY

EX-MINISTER CHARGED CASABLANCA INCIDENT FORMEK LEADERS HELD SOME IN NORTH AFRICA / By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. July 29 . A Military Court has opened an inquiry into the activities of M. Georges Mandel, former Colonial Minister, on the orders of the Petain Government, says the British United Press Vichy correspondent. It is reliably stated that the inquiry involves charges that M. Mandel attempted to communicate ■with the British Minister of Irtfbrmation, Mr. A. Duff Cooper, and General Viscount Gort against the interests of France, an offence which is punishable with death. It is alleged that Mr. Duff Cooper and General Gort arrived at Casablanca in a seaplane and sought contact with M. Mandel, who was aboard the French liner Massilia. The French authorities . are reported to have ordered tho seaplane to leave. M. Mandel was held on board the Massilia. The Court is believed to be seeking to determine whether M. Mandel planned to fly to England and join General de Gaulle and his followers. The former Prime Minister, M. Daladier, is reported to be held incommunicado at his Marseilles hotel. / M. JReynaud, who replaced M. Daladier as Prime Minister, is under house arrest near Vichy. . M. Cesar Campinchi, former Minister ■ of the Navy, and M. Yvon Delbos, former Minister of Education, are under strict surveillance in North Africa. PROTEST TO BRITAIN LEAFLET RAIDS ON FRANCE LONDON. July i! 8 The Petain Government has protested energetically to Britain against leaflet air raids, says the Vichy correspondent of -the Associated Press of Great Britain. ' CHILD REFUGEES DEPARTURE FOR CANADA I'GRANT-AIDED SCHOOL PUPILS MOST TO STAY WITH FRIENDS (Received July 20, 7.25 p.m.) LONDON, July 29 The first contingent of children evacuated under the auspices of the Children's Overseas Reception Society 'sailed for Canada last week. ' They comprised children from grantaided schools. The majority were going to stay with relatives or friends. While the Government scheme for |he .sending of children to the Dominions and the United States from Britain has been postponed until ade- • . quate naval escort can be provided, it was announced that children sent overseas apart from the Government scheme would be allowed t£> leave, either at their parents' risk or at the risk of the voluntary associations which had

arranged their transport. ; The Children's Overseas Reception Society is an official body set up to administer the evacuation scheme. Apparently? in spite of the pOstpone--11 merit of the Government project, it is continuing to evacuation arranged by private organisations. WAR AND CONSCIENCE V OBJECTORS IN BRITAIN r. SOLDIERS* PAY PROPOSAL LONDON, July 26 X Conscientious Objectors are meeting increasing popular resentment throughout Britain. Many unquestionably are sincere, but, because exemption means retention of their civil employment, their lot inevitably is compared with that of 6ther m6n called up, who must 7live On soldiers' pay for the duration 6f the war. : The Bath City Council has decided that employees who are conscientious objectors must be discharged arid re- - Engaged for the duration of the war at a, serving soldier's pay, plus a billeting allowance. The Slough Borough Council has de--/cided to give employees registering as objectors leave of absence Without pay for the duration of the war. If the application for exemption fails arid the employee eventually enters the nation's service, no allow- ' ance will be made under the borough's scheme to make up the difference between his army pay and the amount he •was receiving as an employee of the - borough. - The Richmond City Council proposes to take similar action. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Bevin, said in the House of Commons that he could riot see his way clear to propose special organisations in which 'conscientious objectors would be enrolled for service in national defence at Army pay. "While deprecating very strongly any victimisation by employers," he said, "I am considering whether it is practicable to require that the difference between the remuneration of a conscientious objector in civil employment and the value of a soldier's pay, plus rations, should bo paid into a central fund. Organisations representing conscientious objoctors support ( this idea." 'SWEDEN AND GERMANY effect of concessions *!-' STOCKHOLM. July The prime Minister of Sweden, M. Hansson, admitted in a Bpeech that the concessions made to Germany for transit through Sweden represented a change from the policy adopted during the Norwegian hostilities, but there was no ground for the suggestion that Sweden was changing her basic policy, . namely, the refusal to become the "brick" of any Power or group of Powers. It would be a mistake to suppose that Sweden did not realise her dependence on the rest of the world, but Sweden must retain the status of a free people.