FRENCH CRISIS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21336, 6 February 1941, Page 7

FRENCH CRISIS

| RETURN OF DARLAN | LAVAL'S AMBI HONS DEMANDS BY GERMANS United l’lv.v- As?n. T:lot". T« l. U-pyriglit; LONDON, Feb. 5 I On his return to Vichy from Paris, where he visited the oeiman Ambassador, Attmiral Durian, xviin is tor j ol the Navy, immediately saw ivlar- ! Dial Petam. Tne l-oreign minister, j M. Flancun, and the Minister u; war, (General Huniziger, joined tne meet--1 ing, which lasted an hour and a-half. ,Ao terward .Admiral Danan again i conferred with Marshal Petain alone. '-i he Vichy coirespondent of tne United Press stated tnat the latest attempt at a rapprochement between Laval and Marshal Petain was not entirely successful, and Admiral Darlan consequently will soon return to Paris to keep the negotiations open, in an effort to bring Laval’s ambitions within limits acceptable to Marshal Petain. Opinion in London is that relations between the Vichy Government and Hitler have reached a critical stage. One report says that Vichy is expected to reach a decision on the German terms in the next few days. Crisis Reached “ Everything indicates that a crisis has been reached ancl that the strongest pressure is being brought to bear on Vichy to accept German demands, the precise nature of which can still only be guessed,” says the Times in a leading article. “ The reappointment of Laval to a leading Cabinet position would be a personal humiliation to the Marshal, who dismissed him recently for more than sufficient reasons. It would be an affront to the large majority of French people, whose opinion of this astute turncoat was not iormed yesterday. “ But what Hitler really wants from the Vichy Government is something far more concrete and far more important. Unless all omens are ialse, the principal point at issue is the possession of the French Mediterranean bases and possibly of units of the French fleet still congregated there.” T fie Stuttgart radio, broadcasting in French, warned France not to place her hopes on a British victory, and said such an attitude showed “ inexcusable frivolity bordering on high treason.” '■ Unless all Frenchmen make up their minds without delay to carry out the readjustment indispensable in the political, economic and social spheres,” threatened the announcer, “ the difficulties under which France is laboring will become worse—possibly with disastrous speed.” The Vichy Government announces that M. Jean Marchand has been appointed prefect of police in Paris in place oi M. Roger Langeron. It is explained that the Germans prevented M. Langeron from exercising his functions. M. Langeron is reported to have been arrested on a serious charge.

FOOD IN BRITAIN EMERGENCY DUMPS PROVIDED SPECIAL SOUP PREPARED (official wireless) (Received Feb. 6, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 5 Emergency food dumps are being organised near vulnerable towns in Britain, and a special soup prepared by the Food Ministry to a scientific formula will be the chief item stored. Six of the country’s largest canning plants, operating on mass production lines, have been mobilised by the Ministry, and smaller firms are being brought into the scheme. A preliminary order has been placed for 250,000 cans, each containing eight portions of soup. The potential production of the British canners is 100,000 tins a week.