FRANCE WARNED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21441, 7 June 1941, Page 7

FRANCE WARNED

ATTITUDE OF AMERICA STRAINED RELATIONS VICHY AND GERMANY (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-nt) WASHINGTON, June 6 The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, in response to journalists’ inquiries, said that it seems scarcely I believable that the French Government should’ adopt a policy of collabI oration with the Axis Powers for the [purpose of aggression and oppression. I Such an action, Mr Hull went on, ! not only would yield priceless rights j and interests beyond the requirements •of the harsh armistice, but it would place France in a position of substantial political and military subservience to Germany. If Vichy had acted in the way that official reports strongly indicated, it would be utterly inimical to the just rights of other countries, as well as the true interests and welfare of the French people. The United States, therefore, was undertaking as speedily as possible to I assemble every material fact and circumstance calculated to shed light on the alleged course the French Government was taking. Assistance by America Mr Hull explained that it had been the policy of the United States Government to afford friendly co-opera-tion with France. He asserted that the United States had assisted the French possessions in various ways, and that America had assured Vichy that she had no other interest than the preservation of French territories for the French people. A high diplomat of unimpeachable authority told the American Associated Press that Mr Hull’s statement j could be interpreted as being one of I the strongest issued by the Adminisi tration, and was a clear warning to I France that if she weakly gave way ! to Germany she could not expect to maintain diplomatic relations with the j United States. ) If France did not heed this warn- ! ing it might well be anticipated that ; formal diplomatic relations would be j broken off within a week. The dip- | lomat added that, in such circumstances, it was difficult to believe that relations with the Axis Powers would be maintained.