Imperial Valley press., 1941-06-23
BY BEN LUCIEN BURMAN

Copyright, 194l, NEA Service, Inc.)
BRAZZAVILLE, French West At
rica-From the jungle heart of Al
rica, General Charles de Gaulle
charged today that Marshal Petain
was beaten even before he took
supreme command of the retreating
French army on May % OF last year.
France is done; we must sur
render!' - that, according to de
Gaulle, was the aged Petain's plea
to wartime Premier Reynaud near
ly full month before the Franco
German armistice.
This revelation was made in an
exclusive interview which General
de Gaulle, legend-shrouded leader
OF Free France, granted to me az
his temporary quarters in this
sleepy little settlement on the palm
frlnged banks OF the Congo.
For the first time General de
Gaulle-a tall tower of man, SOL
emn and measured in his words
told for publication the full story
of the incredible chain of events
which led him to divorce himself
from the Vichy government and to
start the Free French movement
81 LOVE MY COUNTRY
AND MY COUNTRYMEN"
There was no other way" He
stirred his tea in reflection. 1T
was not a matter of minutes, not q
matter of quick decision. The de-
bac.e was long in coming. 1 saw
it arriving. More than that, SAW
THE DEBACLE BEING PREPAR-
ED"
He sat there for moment. He
is an extremely quiet man-far
more the reserved Englishman than
the popular conception Of a gay
electric Frenchman. He is shy
figure, obviously accustomed to
thinking lot in solitude.
His blue eyes grew troubled. Il
am going to tell you," he said, "but
1 love my country and my country
men. The life of France and of the
world is at stake. The truth must
be told no matter whom it touches
"As you remember, Marshal Pc
ain took over supreme command of
the army as minister of war on May
28. All France believed that he was
going to rally all the great powers
OF the country to resist the Ger
mans This was his duty. But un-
fortunately for the world his ac-
5tions were exactly to the contrary
PETAIN'S ATTITUDE
BEYOND BELIEF
"At that time I was in the war
office of the Reynaud Ministry. !
shall never forget the occasion when
Fetain arrived for his first confer
ence with Reynaud.. To my aston
ishment, instead of advancing plans
for halting the enemy, with his first
words he urged that Reynaud ask
for an armiStice.
1--WE are finished, he said. we
must capitulate.'
Remember, this was the 28th o.
May-almoSt an entire month before
the armiStice-When the resisting
powers OF France were still enorm-
Gus. From that moment on, every
time he saw Reynaud-at every
slightest opportunity-he continued
to repeat his plea: France is de-
feated; we must give up
Even if matters had been going
we'll instead of badly, the psyche
logical effect would have been dis
aStrous. For general supposed to
be defending his country and for
an officer of the French Army
whose tradition was to die before
surrender, his attitude was beyond
belief
DEFEATISM
OF PETAIN
General de Gaulle turned tc
speak to his adjutant, who came
in witt a message, then went or
quietly. Il know that honor II
these days has become a platitude
but it is not merely a word to bt
found in the dictionary. If there i:
to be no faith in sacred promises
do not see how a civilized worlc
can be possible.
Il tried to argue with Petain anc
one of my colleagues in the Wal
Office joined me. France must re-
siSt,' we pleaded. We have promisec
England that we would fight to the
end. Whatever happens, we must
keep our word. Moreover, there il