The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1941 France’s Final Tragedy

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22043, 16 August 1941, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 1941 France’s Final Tragedy

lIBEKTY. Equality. Fraternity. These were principles which Frenchmen since the end of the Eighteenth Century believed were imperatives in any generally acceptable system of Government. Now, after a post-armistice struggle lasting almost fourteen months, these great principles have been abandoned and the Vichy Government has crowned France’s defeat in the field with a domestic surrender without parallel in French history. The Vichy Government, headed for all practical purposes by Admiral Darlan, has added to the humiliation of the French people by accepting completely the political organisation of the totalitarian countries. For the present this system will prevail in occupied France, but one certainty is that such a system will be endured by freedom loving French people only as long as they lack the means to overthrow it. That Vichy, as a preliminary to full collaboration with Hitler in the establishment of the Nazi new order, has been compelled to take such repressive power against its opponents within the country is the surest indication of the existence of a dangerously powerful patriotic spirit in unoccupied France. Admiral Darlan and his followers are determined to co-operate with Hitler, but they can do so only by having ruthless machinery for dealing with those Frenchmen who are spiritual followers of General de Gaulle. They have created that machinery and the tragedy of France now moves to its shocking climax. Marshal Petain’s broadcast was a sad epilogue to the story of the Third Republic. The speech contained its own tragedy, for it marked the passing of Marshal Petain as an effective servant of the French people. Most of the power in the new totalitarian France is given to Admiral Darlan. He is to become the dictator and Marshal Petain will stand in much the same relationship to him as Hindenburg did to Hitler in the early years of the Nazi dictatorship. He will be used as a figurehead while Admiral Darlan, M. Laval and the others consolidate their totalitarian hold on the country. The foundation of the new r regime is identical with that of all the other totalitarian countries. As Marshal Petain says: “It is desirable that certain principles should be rigidly upheld and authority will no longer come from below.” The real source of authority is ta be Admiral Darlan, and since he is also to have control of the land, sea and air forces he will temporarily, at least, possess the requisite power to uphold that authority. The inevitable effect of this will be that Great Britain and her Allies have now another enemy. Whatever opportunity Admiral Darlan has of embarrassing the Allies will be used; he will be a willing instrument for Hitler. It is much more than likely that the Darlan dictatorship will hasten its own downfall if it co-operates too actively with Hitler in the war. Frenchmen have suffered for their personal and national honour before, and there is a limit to the distance they will go at the behest of a tyrannical national traitor and under the compulsions of the moment in this ghastly phase of their nation’s history.