The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-17
BEATEN FRANCE
ASKS BEST TERMS

CONTINUED from Page -
Petain met with his colleagues un-
der President Albert Lebrun. I'M
mediately thereafter Paul Baudoin,
the new foreign minister, gave a
secret communication to Jose Felix
De Lequierica Y Erquiza, Spanish
ambassador, for his old friend Gen.
eralissimo Francisco Franco, the
Spanish Nationalist leader and
friend Of Adolf Hitler and Benito
Mussolini. This communication, it
was indicated, asked Franco to
convey q message to the German
high command asking for peace.
COMMUNICATES Already Put
The French high command had
already issued its morning COM
munique when Petain, the 84-year-
old hero Of Verdun, made a radio
speech of hardly two minutes to
the French nation, announcing that
he had contacted Frances ancient
enemy, now In Paris and at the
final French defense line on the
Loire. The Maginot line had been
smashed, surrounded.
1t was with this in mind that the
aged soldier told his people that
he, in office to do his tragic task,
had given up the fight perforce.
The military situation, he said,
was of an extremely grave nature.
The German columns were plung-
ing southwark. The German east
ernmost column had crossed the
Saore river In the heart Of the in
dustrial region Of the east and near
the Swiss border.
It Was the End.
All this was in his mind when he
told his assumption Of office, Of his
love for the army with which he
had spent his long line, Of its fight
against hopeless odds, Of his sorrow
for the World War veterans whom
he had once commanded, Of the ref
pgees. 81
II have given myself to France to
better her situation In this grave
hour" he said. g. 1t Is with q
heavy heart that I say we must
cease the fight. / have applied to
our opponent to ask him II he Is
ready to sign with US and as be-
tween soldiers after the fight, and
In honor, a means to put an end to
hostilities."
1t was the end.
This mornings high command
communique told of new German
advances, smashing advances which
made the French position even more
hopeless than 1t had been when Pc
tain took office last night.
But the intention of the new gov
eminent had been made plain to
Frenchmen here In newspaper
stories Of Petain's accession. Rey-
maud had been pledged to finish
fight and his going could have but
one meaning.
Meaning Too Clear.
The Petit Parisien, published here,
said editorially that the Reynaud
cabinet had been formed with the
one idea of a fight to the bitter end
and that the meaning Of its resig-
nation was too clear to warrant
comment.
The people were calm, awaiting
developments.
British citizens. including news
paper correspondents, were already
making preparations to leave when
Petain spoke.
The British government had Or
dered special facilities to embark
them.
Quite plainly Petain and the gen.
erals and right wing political lead
ers In his cabinet had been delegat-
ed to preserve the country's national
life as the real essential, the France
that had known bitter years and
bitter cenuries but had always come
back.
What Petain Said.
In his speech, Petain said:
ION appeal Of the president Of the
republic, I assumed the direction OF
the government Of France. ! am In
heart and thought with our admir-
able army who with every heroisrn
without precedent continued the
glorious military tradition against
an enemy superior irS numbers and
arms, an army which has shown by
its magnificent resistance how TO
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