1941-02-07 — Page 31

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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 7, 1941.

CHINA MAIL INSIDE

WINDSOR HOUSE

"SHOULD BRITAIN FAIL"

News from Frence during the past few weeks has been scanty, out from such reports as are available there appears to have been little or no change in the material situation of that unfor- tunate country. But there is evi-

cd by the sudden and unexpected breakdown of French resistance. One of these signs is evidence of a very definite change of attitude towards Great Britain.

Until Germany began her so- One passage in a tele- dence of a striking change in the called aerial blitzkrieg against gram

many French | Britain many addressed to Mr. frame of mind of

millions of people people. It is true that M. Lava), across the Channel were in a state Roosevelt by advocates the apostle of complete subser- of fiery resentment against Britain

to Germany, remains for a variety of reasons. of greater aid to Britain vience

After in Paris, where he receives the first terrible shock of sudden must challenge the least

such orders as Abetz may und utter defeat had passed away reader attentive

of choose to give him. You may they began to wonder how and remember that it was Abetz who why it had happened. For a time America's newspapers. so skilfully directed the Nazi cam- the sins of their own politicians

the shortcomings of The signers of this mes-paign of propaganda, bribery, and and

their corruption in Frat.ce-and Paris military organisation, were rightly in particular in the months im- indiately preceding the break of war. And just as

sage urge the President to inform the country "clear

out- then he found Frenchmen who wer*

ther

ly and boldly of the pos-ready to act as his tools, so now sibilities of English failure

ANDO some who apparently feel that the best hope for France and of the consequences is tame submission to an enemy to us and to our children's who has never concealed

determination long-standing children should Britainreduce their country to the status fail."

bia

to

ty

·By

Thomas Cadett

regarded as the chief causes of

the disaster. But there is always a natural tendency to shift the blame for failure upon someone else's shoulders, and this cleverly exploited to the full, both by some of the guilty parties and by the Germans themselves.

was

of a third-class power.

In her

France fail."

present plight can't hope, of course, to put up maya, successful resistance to that German demand, however onerous

of difference between willing sub- Obviously it was to the ad- servience and the sullen perform-vantage of those who might other- that the justifiable bitterness of

it may be. Yet there is a world

of a rebellious ance

heart. To wise have been called to account

the nation as a whole should be diverted against another target So

the Lavals. you found

the Flandins, and their Benncts, the like encouraging their countrymen to believe that Great Britain was the villain of the piece. The

not from Vichy that the seeds of French resistance will be sown. The signs that France, the real elsewhere. Enough is now known dead come from

"Should Britain What, Americans ask, is the very best they can expect if that dire thing should come to pass? A brooding and un-į their credit some members of the Vichy Government seem to do as in easy peace; a peace

little as they can to please their which they would con- German task-masters, but it is tinue to arm feverishly because they could not

France, is not trust the future; burdens of taxation such as they cannot contemplate on the basis of any experi- ence they have had thus far; their own democracy refashioned into some kind of totalitarianism as they struggled both to support a war economy and to hold a dwindling share of trade. And the worst?