Evening star., 1940-07-09
Another Light Goes Out


From the moment Hitler began
redrawing the maps of Europe, many
observers have been conscious that
what mankind is witnessing is not a
second world war, but a world revo-
luton. It's purpose is to establish
an international economy and polit-
ical system based on totalitarian or
authoritarian ideology of Nazi-
Fascist pattern.
Downfall of France places prac-
tically the whole of the European
continent, except Russia, under the
rule of dictators who espouse the
way of life typified by the German
and Italian regimes. In the event
of Britain's defeat, there is small
doubt that Latin America would be
the next region upon which a vic
torious totalitarianism would cast
its baneful eye, with destruction of
capitalism and political freedoms as
the basic objective.
France, under the aegis of her
conquerors, now appears to be on the
verge of going Fascist Dispatches
from the unoccupied regions report
that the Petain government is "only
transitory" and will presently make
way for successor, with the vener-
able marshal as "chief of state"
That title bears ominous resem-
blance to Germany's "fuehrer" and
Italy's "duce."
The presidency would be abol-
tshed and "triumvirate," consisting
OF former Premier Laval, General
Weygand and former Minister of
Labor Marquet, now mayor of Bor-
deaux, would control the new gov
eminent under Petain's titular,
supreme direction. AS further
Fascist touch, it is explained that
the present ministry, dominated by
Germany and Italy, seems to be
making last concession to dying
rights" q. e., democratic rights by
an elaborate legislative procedure.
This Is to be carried out by
hand-picked group of Senators and
Deputies at Vichy. To these will fall
the task, as it fell to Hitler's Reichs-
tag and Mussolini's Parliament, of
dealing the death blow to republican
institutions and raising upon their
ruins species of government
frankly and perhaps necessarily imi-
tative Of the liberty crushing system
sponsored by the axis dictators and
now spreading its tentacles across a
subjugated Old World
The war-created rightist elements
thus bent upon destroying France
as a bastion of democracy plan to
accomplish their. purpose under a
new constitution. It's slogan will be
Travail, Famille, Patrie Labor,
Family, FatherlanO instead of the
republics honored motto, "Liberte,
Egalite, Fraternite,' Liberty, Equal
ity, Fraternity. A so-called national
assembly will meet tomorrow to
adopt a constitution said to have
been drafted under Petain's personal
supervision. M. Laval, long suspected
Of Fascist sympathies and an avowed
apostle of appeasement, is appar-
emily the moving spirit in the project
to totalitarianize what is eventually
to be left of France He foreshadows
that the regime will be cooperative"
in form-another draft on Musso-
linian terminology-an that it will
be permanent rather than tempo
rary.
Thus, sorrowful world faces the
prospect that, as a result of the
German victory, the lights of a free
civilization are about to go out in
France. Americans would be blind,
indeed, If they failed. to recognize
the threat to their own concepts, in
herent in the impending blackout of
French liberties.