Evening star., 1941-05-08
(Fourth OF d Series.)
By JOHN T. WHITAKER,

Foreisn Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News
SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE
The situation in French North
Africa, the sudden tightening of
police measures through the Vichy
zone and the shortage of food, no
less than Admiral Darlan's tendency
to force fleet cooperation with
Germany, offer Hitler the hope of
swift action for the final conquest
of France and the completion of
the new Europe"
French North Africa has been an
enigma to most observers. The
German and Italian armistice COM
missions there have not carried
through the disarmament of the
French forces, and indeed Gen.
Weygands army has been expand
ed somewhat so that some even
estimate that it totals 100000 men,
though the most reliable estimate Is
100000.
There were many rumors through
the winter from Casablanca and
Oran as we'll as from Vichy. 1t
was known that Marshal Petain
had sent Gen. Weygand back to
Africa despite the protests of M.
Laval and the Germans.
If German demands become i'm
ncCih1o 81 Dato ;x,r =
as having said to Gen. Weygand,
you Hjll know how to act With
or without orders from me you will
know what your duty is as an officer
of France"
Germans Undismayed.
The Germans seemed undismayed
by these reports that Led London
and Washington to count on the
possibility at least that Gen. Wey-
gand would swing his army over to
Gen. De Gaulle's Free France"
Marshal Petain and Gen. Weygand
evolved the formula that they
would defend the empire in its in.
tegrity against any power that
threatened its violation. The Ger
mans had no intention during the
winter of threatening Morocco, they
so informed Marshal Petain and
Gen. Weygand.
The Germans must have been
very frightened when Gen. Wavell
destroyed Gen. Grazianis Libyan
army, marched steadily across Cy-
renaica and threatened to continue
undisturbed to the Libyan- -Tunisian
frontier, where they could have
made contact once again with their
former French allies. But Greece
declared its intention of fighting
even in the event of the inevitable
Germ. n Intervention, and the Brit
ish went on the defensive in Libya,
transferring troops from there.
If Gen. Weygand has ever in
tended to fight against the Germans
that was his moment. Four Ger
man panzer divisions had not then
been transferred to African soil.
Africa could have been swept clear
of all Italian forces. Spain was
neither ready nor willing then to
intervene against FTench Morocco.
Had Only 30o-Odd Planes.
He had only some 300-odd planes,
mostly Curtiss- -Wrights, based far
south near Marakketch, and he
lacked every kind of supply, includ-
ing even ammunition for small arms.
But supplies and ammunition were
not badly needed for such a move
at that moment, and they could
have been transported then from
America. Is that possible now or
in the period when Hitler starts
cleaning North Africa and the
Western Mediterranean?
Since that critical moment-as-
suming that Gen. Weygand was
ever capable of fighting against the
Germans-Hitler has acted quietly
but quickly in preparation for the
moment when he will take the
initiative In that theater. On Feb
ruary five Dornier transport
planes few into Casablanca with
German officers and soldiers. Un-
til that date civilian control and
port authority had been in charge