Evening star., 1940-10-13
Newspaper and It's government-in-
spired editorial views.

Newspaper and It's government-in-
spired editorial views.
Many rage at new demands by
the Germans-and the French gov
ernment's acqWesence-and the
backbreaking burden Of 5000 900
per day they must pay for the Ger
man army Of occupations upkeep.
Petain Not Regarded ~ Puppet.
No Frenchman believes, however,
that Marshal Petain is q mere
puppet, dancing when the Germans
pull the strings.
Most, with few dissenters, credit
Marshal Petain with making every
effort and exercising every ingenuity
to secure the most and best conces-
sions possible for France, and with
giving in to German demands only
under severe and irresistible pres
sure.
And most of the articulate French
men appear to believe that II Mar
shal Petain disappeared from the
scene he would only be succeeded
by government named and manip-
ulated by Germany, willing or un-
willing stooges and puppets in every
sense Of the word.
What are the major problems of
France Tin the guise of the Petain
governmen0 faces?
First and all dominant are
Frances relations with Germany,
revolving around daily sessions of
the armistice commissions sitting in
Weisbaden, and to a lesser extent
her relations with Italy. Germany
imposed armistics terms in France
which make 1t necessary for the
French to secure German approval
before taking any important step in
foreign affairs or changing their
internal way of life.
What happened at Oran and
Dakar, what happens to the French
fleet and French air force, the de-
gree and extent Of Frances actions
in its African and Far Eastern colo
nies, and every other question in
volving relations with nations and
territories outside France proper
must be viewed with that German
overlordship in full relief.
Each constitutes a problem which
must be negotiated and solved under
circumstances dominant at the mo-
ment.
Colonies Also Problem
What action to take with regard
TO Frances far-flung colonial pos
sessions constitutes another major
problem.
Several colonies have been weaned
away from the Vichy government
and few Frenchmen will deny that
there is grave danger others will
break away and affiliate themselves
with Gen. de Gaulle's free France"
Their distance from the homeland
inability of the fleet to aid them in
the face of Britain's naval might
and incessant pressure from Ger
many, Italy, Japan and some
Frenchmen to think the task of
maintaining the empire an almost
hopeless dream.
Nazi and Fascist minded French
men who remained in Paris when
the Germans marched in provide
cells of disaffection. The Ger
man-controlled press and radio daily
preach the German way and damn
democracy and the hybrid Vichy
government. Some Frenchmen show
signs Of craving restless and dis
satisfied land perhaps jealous with
their lot under iron-handed Ger
man rule while French in unoccu-
pied France lead an easier, freer
existence.
Unless the French government re-
turns to Paris. or is able to assume
more authority over all France,
many observers fear northern and
southern France will continue to
grow away from each other and end
in separate and impotent fractions
OF the nation.
The Vichy government recognizes
the dangers of the situation and
has made numerous but unsuccess-
full efforts. in Paris ard Wiesbaden,
to arrange to return to Paris.
Throughout unoecupied France
(as we'll as in VchyI / found many
who feared that Germany would
soon occupy all FIaDce, or-since
military occupation would be un-
necessary-assume cCrtrol of Mar
seille and other Mediterranean
ports. Lyon. Clermont -Ferrand and
the other major trade and manu-
featuring centers and frontier cities,
which would give them complete
domination of Frances economic
life and contact with Spain and