Evening star., 1940-06-24
Harsh Peace Terms
;Shatfer Illusions Of
Petain and Weygand
Hope for Honorable
Settlement Proves
Futile With Hitler
By PERTINAX.

LONDON, June "a (N.A.N.A.-
The terms of the armistice signed ir
the Compiegne Forest by representa-
tives of the French and German
high commands do not call for 9
detailed explanation. They tell q
very full tale
Not only will France be deprived
Of all freedom of movement-ano
there is no cause to wonder at that
fact since the essential purpose OF
any armistice is to immobilize the
vanquished army-but, in addition
her territory and all her resources
will be brought into line against her
former ally.
What is the alternative policy that
the French government could have
carried out and, even at this elev-
enth hour, before the agreement
with Italy is signed, is still able to
carry out? 1t can be defined as
follows:
While Frances military system is
utterly broken-at any rate in the
metropolitan area-and could not
be realigned against the aggressor,
three springs of French power still
survive. The navy has been left
more or less intact. The empire be-
yond the sea has not been invaded,
and Northern Africa, in particular,
stocked with numerous army, is in
a position to look after itself pro-
vided the air forces which were
withdrawn one month ago and di-
verted to the northern battlefields
are sent back to their former sta
tions. The gold reserve, for the
most part, has been placed beyond
the reach of the invader.
France Has Assets.
Those. are assets which, in the
present war, ought not to be under
estimated. They could be made
serviceable in two very different
ways. The choice lay between max
ing the Germans pay for them
through agreeing to relatively mod
crate conditions of armistice and
pace, or throwing them into the
fight which the British Empire in
tends to continue, and in that way,
help the British victory to materil-
lie even at the cost of allowing the
German invasion to extend any
where.
Obviously, Marshal Petain, Gen.
Weygand and the ministers who
support them selected the first of
the alternatives when they made up
their minds to enter into negotia-
tions with Germany. But then they
had to realize that the demands of
victorious Germany in relation to
the armistice laid the groundwork
for a peace which would assuredly
suppress Frances independence.
How can 1t be explained that they
lacked the nerve displayed by the
Polish, the Norwegian and the
Dutch governments and did not un-
derstand that whatever was neces-
sary to re-establish their country's
independence-in todays circum-
stances, only British victory could
accomplish this-ought to take
precedence over every other consid-
Grafton.
Hoped to Be Spared.
The answer is they honestly be-
lieved at the outset that, through
complying with German imperative
requirements; they would circum-
scribe the territorial zone to be
placed under German occupation
and thus rescue good many mil
lions of Frenchmen from curbing
under a foreign yoke Among the
propertied classes, strong feeling
obviously ran in that direction.
In the second place, the Petain
government was persuaded that,
above national frontiers and apart
from the government concerned
there was kind of brotherhood of
generals and military leaders where
by the dignity and self pride of a
courageous people who had fallen
on evil days could be spared.
Marshal Foch acted in that spirit
% years ago when he abandoned
the idea of pushing Allied troops
across the Rhine toward the Ger
man capital. Marshal Petain him
self, when he was sent to Cracow
to attend the funeral of Marshal
Pilsudski in May, 1885, was only too
anxious to ingratiate himself with
Marshal Goering, first in the church
where the rites were celebrated, and
afterward in the banqueting hall
The diplomats who had to keep
watch over the old French marshal
restrained him with the greatest
difficulty from going too far in the
many attentions he showed to the
representative of the army which
had succumbed in 1918. Obviously
Marshal Petain and Gen. Weygand
trusted they would be paid in the
same coin.
Finally a motive must be men,
toned which, more than any other
launched them on the fateful path
They set themselves to think that
the preservation of social order hao
become primordial duty and thai
the struggle ought not to be pushed
to the point where subversive move.
ments might find the opportunity tt
break out in the heart of the country
Illusions Shattered.
In that respect it is worth record.
ing that, in the ministerial council
which was held near Tours at st
Avertin on June 13-after the Su.
preme Council, where then Premier
Reynaud had pressed Prime Min.
lister Churchill to release the French
government from its obligation MOI
to make peace separately-Gen
Weygand boldly declared that the
Communist leader Thorez had al.
ready installed himself at thu
Palais d'Elysee. OF course, George:
Mandel, the energetic minister oI
the interior, who was present ane
kept in continuous touch over tn,
telephone with Paris Prefect o,
Police Langeron, was in position
to state that the rumor was un
founded. But that little straw