AGREEMENT WITH NAZIS

Southland Times, Issue 24438, 19 May 1941, Page 7

AGREEMENT WITH NAZIS

INFORMATION ABOUT MILITARY CHARACTER OF PACT (United Press Association—Telegraph Copyright) (Rec, 1 a.m.) - LONDON, May 18. There has been sharp criticism in the United States of the action of the Men of Vichy in collaborating with Germany. The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, said he had received information that the agreement was of a military character. Commentators in London state that the Vichy Government is identical with the quislings in Paris who are hand-in-glove with the Germans and it should no longer be given the benefit of the doubt. The French people have been kept in the dark about the dealings of the Vichy Government.

Mr Hull, at a Press conference, struck out sharply at France, sarcastically referring to the Vichy explanations of the Franco-German “collaboration” agreement. Strongly supporting President Roosevelt’s statement condemning the agreement, Mr Hull described the Vichy explanation as rhetoric. “Enough facts have filtered in here to support Mr Roosevelt’s statement completely,” he saidMr Hull’s vigorous attitude caused fresh conjecture on the possibility of American action to protect Western Hemisphere defences, including the seizure of Martinique, Dakar and other strategic French colonies. Mr Hull is making an important speech at 2.30 p.m., New Zealand time, on Monday.

British bombings of German-occupied Syrian aerodromes will not be considered an act of aggression, according to a statement issued by the Vichy Government. The statement added: “France is anxious to safeguard her position as a great Power and maintain the integrity of her territory, and Empire and is entitled to discuss with her conqueror conditions for the mutual reorganization of continental Europe. That does not mean she intends to attack Britain, still less the United States.” Earlier General Dentz, the High Commissioner in Syria, had called the British bombings flagrant acts of hostility. Vichy’s counter-announcement is interpreted in some quarters as a move towards stemming the crisis with Britain. It is even suggested that Vichy may be prepared to abandon the Syrian mandate in order to avoid a clash. Authorized circles in Vichy say that the presence of German transport planes at Syrian aerodromes is authorized by the armistice clauses. According to the Rome correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain Italian planes have also arrived at Syrian airports. “France has confidence in Hitler’s word,” declared a French Government spokesman, countering Mr Roosevelt’s statement. He emphasized that Marshal Petain had used the word “collaboration,” meaning political and economic, not military collaboration. The Royal Air Force has attacked German planes at Mosul, in Iraq, and Palmyra, in Syria, and the Germans have attacked Habbaniyah, the British air base.