1941-07-12 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 12, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

The continuing battle in the Near East has been so overshadowed by the deadly duel of giants in Russia that the Mediter~| ranean front, until re- cently the centre and crux of the war drama, has become again a second- ary front. Compared to the thunderous develop- ments in Russia, the ad- vances and retreats in Egypt, East Africa and Syria seem to be minor engagements, as indeed they are in the panoramic theatre of an intercontinental war Britain, incidentally has! hailed President! Roosevelt's

announce-!

ment of action to protect the ocean highroads im-j plied by occupation of Iceland as more moment- ous than th e fall of France, and this measure of American intervention) sets the scale and estab- lishes the proportion be- tween the campaign for the Suez and the fight for the Atlantic. There can be no doubt that at this

juncture the British life-

Yutes

NOW OR NEVER !

A New Appraisal

This article was written by

discussion but by incontestable, generals-were the saviours

France.

the distinguished French dramat-fact:

His Real Character

of

Field Marshal Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd, G.C.B., K.C.MG., was during the war of

line is the supply line, ist Henry Bernstein, exiled by and that the existence of the Vichy Government. Britain depends far less If Marshal Petain hud nol Marshal Petain's real character |1914 major general and chief of on the open gates of the existed, the history of the second is entirely unknown to Ameri-staff of the Fourth British Army.

world war would have been very cans.

Even then he seemed destined for Mediterranean than

Oll different. Hitler, who is pri- Marshal Petain was not the the high rank which he has since the open lanes of the At-marily a diplomatic genius, al- savior of Verdun, as is generally attained, after having been chief

ways finds the necessary man. He believed, Verdun was saved lantic.

in of the imperial general staff and found Hindenburg to give him spite of Marshal Petain.

aide-de-camp general to the But that does not imply shai,

Germany. He found another mar- Marshal Petain, during the But-King.

another octogenarian, totle of the Somme, in Märch, 1918,| that the battle for the give him France.

wanted to abandon the English, road to India and the The name of Marshal Petain as he did in 1940, and was ready has been a shield and a guaran- bases of imperial power is tee to those Frenchmen who were not an important battle. motivated by cowardice, defeat- When the British gave|

ism and treason.

It is because Marshal Petain the respon-

French Government remained in

contain

an

By Henry Bernstein

Tale Of A Conference

This military leader wrote in The Navy, August, 1940, the fol-. lowing lines:

"The surrender of the Bor- deaux Government came as an- other unpleasant surprise to most people in England, but, once Petain entered the Government, some such development was to be expected. At the Doullens con ference, on March 26; 1918, at and

a which Foch was appointed gen-i had de eralissimo, Petain tried to let us Ger- down in a very similar manner, the first and wished the French army to retire to a position covering Paris

ground in Crete, they did took upon himself not lose a vital position,sibilities of capitulation that the but they gave the Ger-France and that the most terrible mans another stepping.armistice in history was signed. stone out of Europe.ceive in exchange for

What advantage did France re-

this fatal to ask for an armistice

If it When the Axis forces action? None

The shameful peace. whatever. Continent does not

pended entirely on him, inch their way beyond occupied

and an unoccupied many would have won

World War. the famous "Hellfire France. There is but one France, Marshal Petain's work since leaving us to face the German pass," they gain nothing cryny. What value has unot 1918 lends itself to the gravest onslaught alone, and allowing the separate the British but a few miles of scorch-cupied France? Its people are as criticisms, and he is chiefly res-Germans to

occupied ponsible for the state of unpre- and French armies.

paredness in which France found "I have never heard a senior herself in September, 1939.. general 'told off' in public as was Petain by Foch on that occasion, But Foch was a great gentleman, and treachery was completely foreign to his nature."

betrayed, wholly abandoned to

of

ing sand, but they in France; the German law falls

miserable as those

as

as com-

dicate that they are not ther inexorably,

Unoccupied France is withdrawing because of pletely.

the basic weakness of France to- the heavy reinforcements day.

the British are piling up strong man,"

But if France had not had her

the

Close To Totalitarians

Marshal Petaip, since 1934, and the story would perhaps an even earlier date, has in preparation for the have been different, Without been closely associated with

A Gallant Soldier coming fight for Egypt. Petain, the Reynaud Cabinet strongest partisans, in. France of

Field Marshal Montgomery would not have resigned on June the totalitarian powers. Everything that has 16, 1940, but would have been ob- Marshal Petain up until the day Massingberd is, I understand, a а man of happened in the Mediter-liged to remain in power and of defeat, displayed neither frank- gallant soldier and ranean is only prelimin had, constantly affirmed continu- Frenchmen

carry out the principles which it ness. nor moral courage, for while honour, and it must have cost him, something to make so severe publicly predicted ary to the real battle. It ing the war at the side of its our defeat and recommended an a statement and to bring such an

ally England.

understanding with, Germany, he accusation against Marshal Petain looks as if Syria may soon The French Government would kept absolutely silent in regard that is, against a French, gen-

command before the cease to be a tragic testing have moved to Africa and the to his private convictions

and eral in

forces with the British navy. The the French people, ·

situation..

war by a knockout blow,

ground, ending one of French fleet: would have joined never spoke a word of warning to enemy.

We will ask the great French- the most painful chapters Mediterranean would have been Marshal Petain's activities dur-men whose names we have men- of the war. But here, as our sea, and North Africa. would ing the war of 1939-40 are equal-tioned whether this judgment is soon have been wholly ours. and ly as culpable, as those of certain merited and what the conduct of everywhere else, the cam- inviolable.

military leaders who have been Marshal Petain was:

1. In 1916, at Verdun. condemned for communication paign is in suspense, and

2. In March, 1918, when thei The Present Situation with the enemy,

balance of fate fluctuated in the new perspective

wildly, and we nearly lost the opened up by the Russian Compare this with the present Described By Associatos

The hero of Verdun! That is battle front and by the For two reasons it seems es- The portrait of Marshal. Petain decisive stand of the sential to me that the whole in the first World War has been the phrase which has made the

marshal famous, story should be told:

drawn by four outstanding

The world has been led to be American Government its First, because the American Frenchmen and by a great Eng- development hinges on people are entitled to know the fish soldier. It is they, and one lieve that when, in 1916, the Ger- truth. Second, to exonerate my or two other competent men, who man staff, for tactical and strate what happens beyond unhappy countrymen, who have will tell you in unequivocal terms gle reasons, made the taking of Verdun Its príme object, that the Mediterranean, and been led blindfolded and shackl the part Petain played. in 1910 fortified city resisted the heav

ed down a dark path whose end and în 1918.

fest attack of the war due.to.tha especially on what hap-we cannot foresee.

ì Raymond Poincare Georges brillance and the determination pens on the American... I make the following state-Clemenceau, Joffee, Foch-whom of Petain, Brave words of con- ments, the truth of which will be Rome, would. have placed among side of the Atlantic.

substantiated not by arguments or her most gloribus, consuls and (Continued on Pago 10).

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