THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 18, 1941.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
RESPITE
June was a quiet month in England. During the whole of what is usually Fngland's best month, a month of clear days and short nights, the alarm siren was sounded in London only seven times. There were no air raids at all. Tired Londoners slept in their beds. In the long twilights they walk- ed in the Green Park and rowed in the Serpentine as if life were normal again. For a few weeks the nightmare lifted and they had the first calm in terval since the aerial war began last September to count the scars on the ravaged face of the in- trepid Old Lady on the Thames.
The Germans had their worst month, pounded night after night and lat- terly by day by the grow- ing forces of the R.A.F., but London enjoyed a complete respite and the rest of England suffered only sporadic raids, of constantly diminishing intensity. Over the whole country, the toll of cas- ualties dropped from 5,300 killed in May to no more than 399 killed in June.
some-
This relief was what puzzling until the attack on Russia started.
Yates
PRESEN
T
FROM
MENG
NOT WHAT HE ORDERED.
Page
A sufficient quanlly
of MILK daily is
necessary for
health & energy
maintenance
DAIRY
FARM
MILK
the
of
HIGH OTHER
smilk in its most
beneficial form
From Madrid To Vichy
This is the sixth of a series of have been nothing more than
articles by the distinguished French dramatist, Henry Bern- stein, exited by the Vichy goo-
ernment,
After Munich, September, 1938, what we have called Petainism slept again. France was aroused from her apathy, and there was it surge of self-respect and
1
#
military march which would have brought our troops to Rome, and perhaps to the Brenner Pass.
was
✡
**
✡
In April, 1939, Marshal Petain Ambas- appointed French sador to Madrid, where, after a rather awkward beginning, he was treated with the greatest res- pect by General Franco and his
his first act was to deprive his friend Alexis Leger of his French citizenship, his crime having con- sisted of upholding without weak- ness the foreign policy of France and of having remained pro-Eng- lish, anti-Nazi, anti-Fascist.
*
✡
One of the first acts of Marshal' Petain, as French Ambassador to Madrid, was to establish a warm national interest which extended
friendship with General Stohrer, even to those who felt convinced brother-in-law. that it was
Serano Suner, the German Ambassador, which impossible to go to who gave lavish
dinner parties continued with equal cordiality war at the time because of the for him. The man who maintain after war broke out in Septem- disorganisation of the Army,
Frenched such cautious reserve in his ber, 1939. Newspaper photographs the weakness of French own country, who prudently re- have shown them side by side. and English aviation and English fused to commit himself, grew There can be no doubt that more expansive on foreign soil. from this time on the marshal And while he represented his considered the submission of country abroad, he seemed bent France to new European order,
indifference to the fate of Czecho-
**
who had
❤
24
this
In the Italian Chamber of De-
By Henry Bernstein
THE DAIRY FAR
It's Fresh from the Farm. It's sull Fresh when you get it
Pasteurised.
Certified T. B. Free... Every bottle individual. ly sealed.
The Germans have never engaged in two major engagements at the same time. The slow- ing-down of the bombing of Britain began during the Balkan campaign and gave rise to the suspicion that the Luftwaffe is not big enough for a grand-slovakia. scale offensive on two Industrialists and others who, fronts. This suspicion is up to that time, had been strong- on destroying its dignity and res- commanded by the Germans, to:
ly opposed to war moved sudden-pect for its politicians. He derided be the only possible-or-desir confirmed by the nearly into the camp of resistance. French politicians in such terms] able result. He represented, paralysis of the Nazi air Daladier,
accepted that he shocked the more mode- however, only a feeble minority Munich as a necessity, became rate Spanish Fascists. He often in France. The outbreak of war. arms in the West while head of the party of resistance to
In September found a fine spirit face of the bombers and Stukas Germany. In the
in the country. Efforts to rearm abrupt shift
France
fri on the part of the
had been strenuous are attempting to blast al people Laval dropped discreetly
1939. Germany had not yet built the seventy-ton tanks with which way for the German ad- into the background, and Marshal Petain once more adopted В
she was to break our positions in vance in the East.
sphinx-like attitude.
May, 1940. I questioned a num- ber of soldiers who were starting out for the front. They all be It looks very much as if puties violent demands were made
lieved in victory. The spirit of Hitler does not bomb for the return of Tunisia, Corsica
the people was such, indeed, that and, eventually, of Nice to Italy. quoted passages from articles by
Germany dared not attack the England and Russia sim- French response to these demands Charles Maurras in the "Action French Army until it had been ultaneously because he had been indignant protests and Francalse" which insulted the exposed to eight months of pro cannot. If he could dis- mockery, and in January Dala- French ministers then in power, paganda and allowed to rot under
dier started on a speaking tour, mud-slinging articles which, in the influence of insidious Petain pose of those thousands of our North African empire, dorsed by our ambassador, were! and thousands of 'planes ly in
where he was received, particular- harmful to
.our prestige as a Tunisia, with great en- nation abroad.
At this time Daladier, who was he has conjured up to im-thusiasm.
Marshal Petain one day told a President of the Council, held two Daladier's trip and his success' visitor that he had not been sent portfolios, being at the same time Minister of War and Minister of picture of illimitable air the Petaln-Laval clan. "It would create an atmosphere sympathetic Foreign Affairs. Patriot to the reserves, his logical be a crime," the marshal declar- to France. This point of view bottom of his heart, Daladier was
ed, "to antagonise Italy,"
would have been acceptable if: basically
indecisive. that strategy would be to use One is at a loss to know. why 1. Instead of creating this at- both departments were suffering them without limit be. France should have trembled atmosphere Marshal Petain had not from his fundamental weakness. this time before Italy. If thore dally, by a dozen different means, In December, 1940; he realised fore British and Ameri- was not a pro-French majority in lowered the prestige of his govthat he was being sharply criti can production reaches Italy, there was an immense anti-ornment in the eyes of the Span- cised for holding the two prin-
German majority, which included lards.
cipal portfolios when one alono the peak, The truth must the King, the Pope, many politi-2. If Marshal Petain had agreed was a staggering job for a man In be that he has not the cians and almost all the people to have an important diplomat to war time. In order to keep the Had France, when war broke handle affairs between the two portfolios he worked out a strange forces for this double out, placed italy in a position of countries. But the marshal always combination. He would appoint drive. London's quiet having to choose between Ger- opposed that.
two vice-presidents of the Coun- many and France, Mussolini He sent empty reports to the cil, Marshal Petain and Herriot- June which has persisted would hardly have dared uphold Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ul- two political adversaries, one man into the first fortnight of the Axls. And if he had events though they were always written from the Right, the other from July despite the thou sunce then have indicated clear with the utmost courtesy. To M. the Left who would have a sort ly that an Italian campaign would Alexis Leger, permanent. Under of supervisory power, the first sands of tons of bombs
Secretary of State, he sent more over the War Department, the HONG KONG
over Foreign Affairs. dropped on the Rhine- the limits of Nazi air confidential and cordial reports. second
Always when the marshal went to Petain came hastily from Madrid land, Bremen and Han power and the measure Paris he spent an hour at M. and accepted on the spot.
After accepting Daladler's offer. over, is not accident or re of British and American Lege's office, discussing matters
freely.
When the capitulation however, Petain talked to Laval prieve; rather it marks, opportunity.
Brought the marshal into power (Continudu on Rago 10)
press the world with a proved extremely annoying to, to Spain to run errands, but to
ism.
*
THESE FACTS MAKE
DAIRY FARM
MILK
WHAT IT IS.
THE FINEST & SAFEST IN