Evening star., 1940-12-12
(Continued From First PageO


the capital of the Sherifian Empire.
This authority might best be de-
scribed as that of viceroy in the
purest sense Of the word, for Gen,
Weygand is responsible only to Mar
shal Petain who, in his own words,
Is responsible only to history.
The marshals delegate-general
talked to me at Oar Moulay Ali. the
palace OF the military commander
OF Marrakesh There had been q
review on the red plain beyond the
blood red walls of the capital of the
empire which once ruled the earth
IRON the Pyrenees to Timbuktu.
during this week, there have been
many such reviews. In each was
the color, gusto and all the familiar
notes OF Bastile Day parades down
the Avenue Champs Elysees when
the Third Republic of France. now
officially dead, used to flaunt its i'm
perial splendors. Spahis in swirline
capes, zouaves in long red trousers,
sailors looking stouter than you
would think beneath their red POM
poms, all marched. The "Marseil-
laise" was shrill and brassy as al
ways even though the motto of lib
erty, equality and fraternity has
yielded to that of family, work and
duty.
Regimental colors were weighted
with past glories. (Here in Rabat
yesterday, they paid tribute to the
faded colors of their own colonial
regiment, the most decorated in
France, embroidered with such
names as the Marine, Verdun, Dou-
aumont, Champagne and the Ar
gomez Everything seemed the
same except that you knew that the
memories of these marching men
were embroidered with additional,
more recent names-Dunkirk, the
Maginot Line, Skaggerak and Mers-
El-Kebir and Dakar as well.
Evidence Of Sanctity.
At Marrakesh, which is deep in
land under the walls of the Atlas
Mountains, we had instead of sailors,
Berber horsemen yelling like tor
nado at the ancient gates to greet
the general with an astonishing dele
CATION of Caids, "the lords Of the
Atlas" with El Glaoui Pasha of
Marrakesh at their head And all
around them were the brown tents
of tribesmen, who had come from
as far as the Sahara.
It was obvious that, around Gen.
weygand's person, there is still that
evidence of sanctity which, in the
minds of MuSselmen, accompanies
captains victorious in war.
In front of the 18th century mos
que at La Koutoubia. motorcycle
riders sweated in padded jumpers.
Inside, white -turbaned Zouaves rigid
In the cool corridors, indicated the
way silently with their sabers. Lunch
was not over. Gen Weygand was
still speaking very earnestly 1t
seemed. When the doors finally
opened, officers and local admins
traitors hled OUT silently.
Into the commanders Office, Gen.
Weygand came suddenly. I remem-
bered how I had once seen him ap-
pear suddenly, rapidly like this, as
If his slight physique were inte-
grated by steel springs. That had
been IN the gateway of the old man
sion in Paris, where neWspapermen
had been waiting for days. He had
only Just previously left the man
sion. On seeing Gen. Weygand, the
faithful, summoned back, we knew
that the death agony of Marshal
Foch was over. ....
Old Swarthinese Gone.
He went to chair. II like hard
chair" he said. He found one and
sat down, almost as though on tip
toe, and began to talk as rapidly and
precisely as he walks. II he looked
older than that night so many years
ago, it was only because his old
swarthiness has gone since he al
lowed his mustache to whiten. His
skin is stretched too tauntly over
high cheekbones for wrinkles. There
are tiny ones around his eyes, but
his eyes are agate sharp. There is
no visible reminder of the airplane
crash in which he suffered four
broken ribs.
Gen. Weygand looked down the
list of questions submitted before
hand and tossed them aside.
II cannot give you answers to
questions like these" he said.
OF course, I indicated, but when
questions are submitted in advance
one naturally must ask something
one wants to know.
There is, however, something I
want to say" he declared and
pounced on the question behind the
questions. "I am very displeased at
the trend of the British and Amer
ican propaganda that is being put
out about my coming to Africa and
about my command" He halted
a moment. Il don't like to use a
disagreeable word like propaganda,
but" he thought split second
and then went on-"What I object
to in this propaganda is the inten-
ton behind 1t to create the impress
sion that there is lack of harmony
between Marshal Petain's policies
and mine.
Only One France.
II am here to serve my country.
That country is Marshal Petain
incarnated. There is not any Sec
ond France. There is only one. I
have been delegated to command all
French Africa. My mission is to
maintain the unity of French Africa
In itself and the unity of French
Africa with the metropolis of France.
Africa Is one with France and Gen.
Weygand Is one with Marshal Pc
tain
He stood up. 1.-THE troops are
waiting" he said. He seemed impa-