The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1942. DRAW YOUR BLINDS—7.30 P.m. EXIT DARLAN.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15235, 28 December 1942, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1942. DRAW YOUR BLINDS — 7.3O P.m. EXIT DARLAN.

Tiie hand oi the assassin lia* removed from tile world's stage one who has been the topic of most bitter comment and controversial debate during the last few months, j Admiral Darlan i* and uLtnough his past actions indicate that lie was prepared to co-operate to tiie lull with Nazi Germany, liis assistance m North Africa is said to have put tke Aided movement there montiis ahead and to have saved thousands of Allied lives. Jean Iraticois Darlan was born in Nerac, Garonne Valley inland from Bordeaux and at the time of bis death was til years of age. His great-grandfa-ther fought against Nelson at Trafalgar, hi* grandiather was an owner of sailing ships and his father left the sea for politic* and at one time was Minister of Justice in a French Cabinet. The late Admiral himself joined the French Navy at an early age after study at the if cole Navale, the French naval colLege. He served his country during the last war and between the two wars rose to the rank of Admiral in duel of the French Navy which he raised to a degree of efficiency it had not attained for a generation or more. Prior to the collapse of France he was severely critical of Britain and later collaborated with Hitler to the despair and disgust of the Fighting French. His critical attitude to Britain was still most pronounced and liis announcements at various times indicated that he was staunchly anti-British. Earlier this year bo was reported to be in Africa; the mission of liis visit was said to be the preparation of the defences at Dakar against possible Allied attacks. The sensational and unexpected invasion oi North Africa ia ught him in Algeria and the first messages announced that he was a prisoner of war. The peoples ot the United Nations were amazed to hear later that General Eisenhower had accepted, with the consent oi Prsident Roosevelt, the full co-op-eration of Darlan and the French forces in Africa. There was immediately an outburst of anti-Darlan propaganda in England and America, and the De Gaullist* were said to be most perturbed at the situation. A commission left England to enquire into the bona fides of the Admiral of whom distrust was most widespread. Questions were asked in the House of Commons regarding the “volte face,” while Amrican opinion was divided on the question. Now the assassin has taken the life of the Admiral and the killer’s action reflects the hatred oi many French people who maintained that Darlan was a Fascist awaiting the opportunity and co-operating with the Allies to enable him to march with a Fascist army to his beloved France. The outcome will be awaited now with intense interest but it would appear that opposition by Darlan’s troops to the Allied forces is not to be expected.