Evening star., 1941-04-09

which cruel and exhOrbitant toll is
exacted. may be raised still further
as a punishment for any manifesto
ton of sympathy with us.
Admiral Darlan tells us that the
Germans have been generous in the
treatment of France. All the infor-
nation which we have, both from
occupied and unoccupied France,
makes me very doubtful whether the
mass of the French people would
indorse that strange and sinister
tribute
But l must make it clear that we
must maintain our blockade against
Germany and rights of contraband
control at sea which have never been
disputed or denied to any belligerent
and which year ago France was
exercising with us. Sometime ago
we were ready to open economic
negotiations with the French to
mitigate the hardships of their con-
ditionS, but any chance of fruitful
negotiations was nipped in the bud
by the generous Germans" and
imperative orders were given from
Wiesbaden to Vichy to break of all
contact with us.
We have allowed very consider
able quantities of food to go into
France out of a sincere desire to
spare the French people every hard
ship in our power. When. however
it comes to thousands of tons of
rubber and other vital war material
which pass, as we know, directly to
the German armies, we are bound
even at the risk of collisions with
French warships at sea. to enforce
our rights as recognized by interna-
tional law
Strength of r. A. F.
Reported Gaining.
There is another action into which
Vichy might be led by the dictation
of Germany, namely, sending pow
erful war vessels which are unfin-
ished or even damaged from the
French African ports to ports in
metropolitan France now under Ger
man control or which may at very
short notice fall under their con-
troll.
Such movements of French war
vessels from Africa to France would
alter the balance of naval power
and would thus prejudice the inter-
ests of the United States of Amer
lea as we'll as our own. l trust that
such incidents will be avoided, or if
they are not avoided. the conse-
quences which will follow from them
will be understood and fairly judged
by the French nation, for whose
cause we are contending no less than
for our own.
I am glad to be able to report a
continued and marked improvement
in the relative strength of the r. A.
F. compared with that of Germany.
Also, l draw attention to the re-
markable increase in its actual
strength and in its bombing capacity
and also a marked augmentation
in the power and size of the bombs
which we shall be using in even
greater numOer.
The sorties which we are now
accustomed to make upon German
harbors and cities are increasing
botn in the number of aircraft
employed and in the weight of the
discharge with every month that
passes.
In some cases we have already
in oul raids exceeded In severity
anything which single town has
in a single night experienced over
here. At the same time, there Is
a sensible improvement in our
means of dealing with German
raids upon this island.
Acknowledges Heavy
Shipping Losses.
A very great measure of security
has been given to this country in
daylight and we are glad that the
days are lengthening, but now the
r. A. F. looks forward to the moon
light periods as opportunities for in
f1icting severe losses upon raiders
as we'll as for striking hard at the
enemy in his own territory. The
fact that technical advisers well
come daylight, moonlight and star
light and that we do not rely for
our protection on darkness, clouds
and mist as would have been the
case some time ago, is pregnant
with hope and with meaning. But,
of course, all these tendencies are
only in their early stages.
But, after all, everything turns
upon the battle of the Atlantic