Milford chronicle., 1940-11-15
Economic IighIights
Happenings That Affect the Dinner
Pasls. Dividend Cheeks ana Tax
Bills Of Every individuals hallenaA
and international Problemn insep-
arable from Local Welfare.

TO most Americans, the govern
mert at Vichy in so-called Tree
France" Is a pathetic spectacle. fou
can draw q parallel with Il here
working on the supposition that we
have been decisively defeated IN 9
ruinous war, have seen our capitai,
practically all Of our Industrial
areag. and close to half Of our ter
ritory occupied by a ruthless enc
/. nv. and are faced on all sides by
enemy troops against whom we nave
no military defense. That Is the po-
sition France Is In today. And un-
der those circumstances, Marshal
Petain's announcement that France
would cooperate with the Axis pow
ers to restore peace In Europe
should not have come as any great
surprise.
whether or not this makes France
a definite ally of the totalitarian
states is not yet clear. But It does
make clear the unpleasant fact that
France will do-officially at least
whatever Hitler and Mussolini want
Few observers think that Hitler
promise not to use the French Navy
against England is worth a hoot-
most of them think that before long
what is left Of that Navy may be at
sea, fighting for the Axis. Every
French resource will be placed at
Hitler's disposal when he wants 1t.
II is no doubt true that the average
French citizen hates Germany and
prays for British victory, but he is
helpless. Every precauti0n has been
taken to make organized resistance
impossible
The action of France is simply
one more Of those many actions
which have been dividing the entire
world into two distinct and opposed
groups. On one side are Germany,
Itaiy. Japan and those other peoples
the Axis is able to control. On the
other is Britain and the United
States. Latin America remains the
question mark, and during the next
few years both sides are going to
use every weapon at their command
-flattery, bribery, and threats-to
win her support. This war is no or !
binary war. It is a world revolution
And "woe to the vanQuished" will |
be the motto of the ultimate victor.
There is little talk now of the |
war ending soon. Rumors are again
making the rounds concerning peace |
and France was supposed
% have been drawn into the Axis for /
hat purpose. But 1t is extremely
iificult to see now how any agree
nent could be made that would be
to both Hitler and Eng
and-to say nothing Of this country,
which seems determined to have a
Iay when it comes to redividing the
world around a conference table.
rhe chance for a negotiated peace,
n other words, might be called an
improbable possibility.
The only other alternative is peace
Trough complete military victory,
which is what both Hitler and /
,huchhill have often said is their
ole aim. Chuchill has also said that
1ngiand will have air superiority
within another year and will take
he offensive then. But the events of
he past year have certainly indi-
ated that air warfare is far from
In brief, as good a guess as
ny now is that this war may go on
The theory used to be that neither
ide could command sufficient re-
ources to keep the war going for
our or eight or ten years. Time
GEMS to have dissipated that theory.
conquests have given her
wealth of raw materials. She lacks
cry little that is necessary to war,
nd what she does lack she has
ood chance of getting-as. for eX-
mple. tin from the East Indies, to
e obtained for her by her ally, Ja-