VICHY CONDEMNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24537, 20 March 1943, Page 7

VICHY CONDEMNED

"GERMAN GOVERNMENT" GIRAUD DISCUSSES FUTURE SOUTHERN EUROPE LANDING (Recti. 6.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. March 18 "The Vichy Government is a German Government, which can no longer exist when the French armies enter France," said General Giraud, High Commissioner in French North Africa, when interviewed by Mr. Hanson Baldwin, of the New York Times. Genera] Giraud, who impressed Mr. Baldwin as strong, disinterested and sincere, frankly discussed the military situation He gave it as is opinion that Germany was not yet at the end of her rope, in spite of heavy losses in men and material, and that she had enough strength left to finish the year but could not go through another winter. He did not believe Germany had "another March, 1918, offensive in her system." Politics and War Because of the strength of the fortifications in Western Europe, General Giraud added, Germany could impose a great number of casualties if the Allies attacked in that area, but the successful conclusion of the African campaign would greatly affect Italy. A landing in Southern Europe would have inestimable results affecting the entire strategy of the war. Mr. Baldwin says General Giraud's

- recent statements, the resignation of General Bergeret and the probable replacement of General Nogues, have done much to clear the political air. How- ' over, within the next six to 10 weeks the political crisis will be paralleled by an economic and military crisis, which will have a major effect on the political situation. The rainy season has ended and an extreme intensification of the lighting may be expected at any time. Hoarding of Food The hoarding of wheat and other food has created a serious shortage. General Giraud's political reforms cannot be fully consummated until the Germans have been pushed from the Mediterranean and the spectro of hunger and deprivation eliminated from North Africa. Fighting French headquarters in London say that General de Gaulle, who is going to North Africa at General Giraud's invitation, will not leave until General Catroux, liaison officer between the Fighting French and General Giraud, has returned to Algiers. General Catroux, who is also governor of Syria, recently returned there after visiting Algiers. The Algiers radio has announced that the only French possession in South America, French Guiana, has lined up with the Allies. Its Governor has told General Giraud that the colony places itself under his authority. NOGUES REASSURED LONDON. March 19 General A. Nogues, Governor-General of French Morocco, has sent the following message to General Giraud: "Your ; declaration of policy has reassured us. s ! You have answered clearly and des jcisively the questions many of our fellow ► ; countrymen have been asking about ( j your important mission and the future | of France." "| RESTORE ARMY UNITS '| DECISION BY VICHY I (Reed. O.'-'O p.m.) LONDON. March 18 I The Paris radio says Vichy has announced that a certain number of men from the demobilised French Army will he exempt from labour conscription, because it is proposed to re-estab-lish some French military formations such as artillery, anti-aircraft units i and ground troops. , UNEASINESS IN TURKEY i BERLIN RADIO REPORT LONDON, March is The Berlin radio states that the feeling is developing in the larger Turkish cities—fostered by a British-American whispering campaign and Jewish Levantine circles—that Turkey will soon abandon neutrality. There is an ever-iucreas-ntimber of British servicemen in Turkey, who are proclaiming that she will , soon be fighting side bv side with her ; Anglo-Saxon allies. The radio added that this is increas- . ing_ uneasiness in Turkey. Rumours of \ military activity in the Eastern Mediterranean confirm the impression that , a large-scale war of nerves is progressing against Turkey. 1 MEDITERRANEAN WAR ; ROYAL NAVY'S EARLY TASK ! LONDON, March 30 ; East of Malta, West of Suez," is the title of a booklet produced by the i j British Admiralty and the Ministry of t Information. It tolls how the eastern Mediterranean was held by the Royal | Navy from the outbreak of war until I the spring of 1911. Pictures and maps show some of the j highlights of the Mediterranean war, I which include the great blows struck j at, the enemy at Taranto and Matapan i The booklet reveals that the eastern I j Mediterranean fleet had no aircraft- s I carrier until the Eagle joined it in | ■May, 1910. She was 20 years old ami , her speed and armour were below modern needs. j There were no fighter-pilots on board, so for a time the air commander of the Eagle, Commander C. C. KeighlyIVach, went up alone to defend the " fleet. Once he flew with a bullet still in his thigh from a previous air duel, but s |he shot down an enemy machine. Later V he trained two bomber pilots as fighterpilots and between them they destroyed " II enemy aircraft and managed to pre- : serve the fleet from serious harm. FRANCO'S DEFENCE PLANS MADRID, March IS General Franco announced at the opening of Parliament that he intended to spend £100,000,000 on modernising Spain's army and defences. Hi 1 said that the war would be a long one. A short war would have enabled the attainment of primary objectives, but a war lasting six or seven years would change the situation completely. Riis.sia's participation gave the war the character of a fight to the death. He was convinced that M. Stalin's ultimate aim was universal revolution. ANTI-U-BOAT WARFARE LONDON, March IS The anti-U-boat Warfare Committee had met regularly once a Week since it was constituted, said Lord Cranbourne, Leader of the House of Lords, in reply to a question. Twenty meetings had so far been held. Admiral Stark, Commander of the United States Naval Forces in Europe, and Mr. Averell Harriman, lend-lease administrator in Britain, had attended meetings of the committee. GROWING AIR FORCE LONDON, March 10 There is to bo no employment bar in future to men volunteering for air crew duties with the Hoval Air Force or the Fleet Air Arm. The Ministry of Labour and National Service is to amend the schedule of reserve occupations so that men of the specified ages in any occupation can volunteer.