1941-05-20 — Page 11

DONALD DUCK

HI, TOOTS!

GOIN' MY WAY P

GO WAY!

I'M NOT

SPEAKING

TO YOU!

Cope 1941, Wah any rectione

World Huda Newrved.

4-B

́GRIN AND BEAR IT

By Lichty

Tuesday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

NO USE

BEIN' STUCK UP!

C'MON...HOP

IN!

AW, C'MON!!

GST YOUR

NOSE OUTA

THE AIR

AND...

May 20, 1941.

By Walt Disney

WALT DISNEY 2

by King Features Syndicate.

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FRANCE at Nazi Mercy

By Joe Alex Morris

This is the second of two dispatches by the Foreign News Editor of the United Press who visited France on his way back to the United States after an assignment in Eng- land. The first appeared last Friday.

Sometimes a procession of automobiles rolls into the main street of Vichy and half a dozen German army officers get out in front of the big resort hotel that houses the French Ministry of War. If the guard at the door presents arms, and a trim, little man in uniform comes to greet the new arrivals, you know that there is a general of the Reichswehr among the Germans.

The sober little man with a ramrod back is General Huntzinger, the French Minister of De- fence. Only a little man in a stiff, flat-topped General's cap could be so severely correct in his public greeting to a con-

queror.

Passersby pause to look at the Germans. The Ger- man soldiers gaze around with restrained curiosity and sometimes take snap- shots. They have an air of confidence that con- trasts sharply with the apathy of the French around them, and it is only when some of the passersby turn away that you see anger and bitter- ness on their faces.

The anger and bitter- ness that exist among the French may become a potent element in the war. But thus far, it has failed to penetrate the confused apathy of a defeated na- tion. The people know that at any moment Ger many may draw tight the noose that would

I

་

strangle what is left of Unoccupied France.

To understand the posi- tion of France in a war- ring continent, you must weigh the attitude of the government leaders, the power of Germany to strangle France almost overnight and the dazed, hopeless condition of the mass of the people after last year's battle.

The government of Mar- shal Petain, under the in- fluence of former vice-pre- mier Pierre Laval, bet on a German victory over Great Britain and agreed to col- Jaboration in a new European order dominated by Germany. Most members of the govern- ment are still staking their futures on that bet, although they are less confident now of the outcome. One of them explained it this way:

"There are more than 80,-

000,000 Germans with a vast industrial machine. It is only

reasonable that they should be a dominant power on the continent. We lost the war. We are primarily an agricul- tural country, and we can fit into a new European order in which we maintain the rights and sovereignty of France just as any one of your states in America maintains its position. And, just as a na- tive of any one of those states

become leaders

сап

again in Europa."

Loft, a refugee "reads his shirt" for para- sites. Right, Russians huddle about a small- wood-burning stove while broad and soup are served. Bottom, wooden bunks for men in German refugee quarters. Each group is assigned a leader who is responsible for por- sons in his charge. Future appears dark for

FRENCH REFUGEES-More than 30,000 Gorman Jews, Hungarians, Czechoslovakians, Russians, Poles and Spaniards are detained in internment camps in unoccupied France, where their lives aro utterly futile and 'miserable, according to reports. Pictures above were taken at Camp des Milicâ, not far from Marseilles., Top, ancient brick them. factory now used as the main building.

backing of Germany, that he fell victim to the intrigue of his political foes at home and to Petain's own idens of how to save France from extinc- tion. Laval is now in Paris, but many in Vichy believe he will return. They know that the Germans can put him in a place of power again if they think it desirable.

Laval The ousting of

Francois brought Admiral Darlan to power, and conso- lidated in his hands the. mosi important cabinet posts. Darlan is outspokenly anti- British, because he built up the French Navy and saw some of its finest ships al- tacked by the British at Dakar and Oran. He is re- puted to have expressed a hope that the French Navy would have a chance to show its mettle to the British, but is also credited with being merely more anti-British than pro-German,

Darlan's lack of political experience has brought Pe- tain's position more strongly into the foreground. The old Marshal, regardless of his personal political views, re- presents the French desire to survive as a nation. He has convinced the people that he is above political Intrigue or personal ambition. His one desire is to go down in history as a national savour. He is trying to mark time until somebody wins the war,

one French official explained. "Whenever it is drawn tight, we begin to choke."

The Germans hold almost war pri- 2,000,000 French soners, and by holding them can delay the ability of the nation to recover and weaken France for a generation. by drastically affecting, the birth rate.

the

Germans are using billions of francs paid by the French Government for support of Nazi army in occupied France to buy into French industries and other enter- prises, which they will control even if the army of occupa- tion is withdrawn. German occupation, is forcing France

its to sky-rocket borrow. ings toward the 100,000,- -000,000 frane mark, with con- sequences so obvious that the franc can now be purchased on the Black Bourse at more than 125 to the U.S. dollar in contrast to the official rate of 481/2

This Nazi programme of economic destruction, how- ever, is only part of the pro- blem. The French are run- ning short of food, and when ever the "strangulation line" is drawn tight the Germans can make the food, fuel, and raw materials shortages s0 acuto that the unoccupied zone is all but paralysed. Al- ready the food shortage han persuaded Petain to back Darlan's threat to uso French, warships against the British blockade. Some neutral ob.. servers believe that real fa- "The line of demarcation mino conditions might persu between occupied and unbccuade the Marshal to go further pied France is a diabolically in dents with Germany in ex-

change for: food,

Petain and all of Un- occupied France, however, are at the mercy of Germany.

In a general way, that is the official version of the ultimate purpose of collabora- tion with Germany, but it is modified by many Influences. The first big influence was Laval, who staked everything 'on a quick German triumph after France fell. He wont so far in his offorts to gain personal power, with thongclever cord of strangulation,

Against the German power, there are a few safeguards. One is the Nazi-dictated armistice that left the fleet in French

to hands protect French colonies. As long as Petain can threaten to flee to North Africa and turn the fleet, nir force and colonial to co-operation with the British, the Germans must carefully weigh the cost of breaking the armistice terms by invading the_unoc- cupied zone or seizing French naval bases.

army

over

The second and, possibly the most important, safe- guard is the pro-British feel- ing among the French armed forces and the people. Three experienced observers just re- turned from North Africa told the same story: that the French navy took an objective vlew of the military necessity that prompted British attacke at Oran and Dakar, and that the feeling among both men and officers was favourable to the British.

an

The people of the occupied zone are invariably described by responsible persons reach- ing Vichy as becoming daily more bitter against the Ger-

because mans-largely army of occupation paralyses- business and hits the people In their pocket-books. In the. unoccupied zone, the people have not yet recovered enough from the daze of defent to worry seriously about who is going to win the war. But if they forget their own troublen long enough to talk about it, the old fear of Germany emerges, and there are now signs scrawled in chalk on the walls:Vive De Gaulle! Copyright 1941 by United

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