FRENCH PUBLIC STUNNED

Southland Times, Issue 24600, 24 November 1941, Page 5

FRENCH PUBLIC STUNNED

GENERAL WEYGAND’S DISMISSAL

POSSIBLE PRELUDE TO IMPORTANT EVENTS

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Noy. 21. General Maxime Weygand’s dismissal has stunned the French public, says The Times correspondent on the French frontier. It is generally believed that his departure will I- a prelude to more important events, such as new German claims about North African territories and ports, to which Vichy may agree. The loss of General Huntziger and General Weygand lessens the resistance to collaboration. Authoritative sources in London say that General Weygand’s dismissal was precipitated by the British advance in Libya. A message from Vichy states that there was no official reaction to the United States suspension of economic assistance to North Africa.. The view of the British Press in general is that Marshal Petain’s willingness to remove General Weygand from his post in French Africa implies that further demands have been made by Hitler for the control and use of French North African territory and, in particular, French ports. The importance of the changed situation which might arise in the Mediterranean as the result of this potent Nazi menace is fully appreciated in the Press. Marshal Petain has attempted to explain his action in a statement in which he says that the post of DelegateGeneral, held by General Weygand, was created by Vichy to establish an adequate liaison between the French African possessions and the Vichy Government. Its secondary purpose was to safeguard the population of French Africa against the effects of the blockade. Since these purposes have been accomplished the need for a Delegate-General has disappeared and the post has become superfluous. GERMANY DELIGHTED Germany is delighted at the Marshal’s decision and, according to neutral correspondents, warmly welcomes the dismissal of General Weygand to which the Wilhelmstrasse attaches much significance. One German comment phrases it thus: “The defence of French North Africa would assume a special importance in German eyes should the British offensive in Libya prove successful.” In the meantime the United States Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, has announced that he is endeavouring to assemble all the data on the position in French North Africa.