Evening star., 1941-01-01
(THrd Of Il SerieS.J
By STEPHEN TRUMBULL.

Martinique doesn't gradually mani
fest itself as you step from the pier.
1t hits you right in the eye.
The transition from Goth century
America to a 18th century piece OF
France is too abrupt You get the
crazy idea that maybe your pilot
made a mess of his navigation and
crossed the Atlantic instead OF the
outer edge of the Caribbean.
Maybe this is French Africa, with
its narrow streets and open sewers.
White faces are so few that you
feel conspicuous. Later you learn
that of the 2500O0 inhabitants of
this 365-Suuare mile center of cur
rent international attention only
1,649 are pure white. In the re-
naming 90 plus per cent blood va
rieS from Just trace OF Carlb Ne
gro to all Carib Negro.
Later YOU learn how the social and
political problems thus created dl-
vide this island, creating never
ending string of human tragedies
and-moSt important of all from
the current American viewpoint
how these various gradations of
color look upon the nation now
policing the seas at their door.
What City Is Like.
Business Fort de France, its shops,
ba7aarS, hotels and multitude OF
bars and vine shops, sets on the
small fiat directly before you,
Crazy. packed collection of century,
old buildings of corrugated iron and
tile roofs.
Residential Fort de France is
nitched into the mountain range
that rises abruptly Just beyond this
downtown section. Other homes are
set into the tor~accd bluffs on the
north side of the harbor.
The formalitv of a call at the
American Consulate over. We set
out for a further view of this scene
on which our strateglstS are casting
such coyctouS eyes. The place IS
under military rule, with Admiral
Georges Robert in supreme COM
nand. He is commander in chief
Of all the French in the western
Hemisnhere. The Island General
Council was suppressed october y.
When Vichv announced the pow
ers conferred upon Admiral Robert
many American newspapers renewed
their editorial concern over the pos
sibility of a new Berlin-to-Vlchy-
to-Nartinioue play here at this vital
SAP in our defense picture Ap-
rarontlv this bothered the admiral
not at all
Radio Censorship.
Censorship is in effect here.
Listening to non-FrenCh language
broadCasts in public places is for
hidden. Theoretically this is cut
ting out all Of the English broad
casts as we'll as our own goodwill
programs beamed at Latin America.
Actually it does nothing OF the
sort. From private homes, back
rooms and apartments YOU hear
radios blarinc away with all sorts
Of programs. and no one does any
thing about il.
One of the first calls was on the
officer Of information Capt. L. V.
Favle. NNa-@eEpect to encounter a
stern martmpt. Instead we meet
youngstcr who might easily be
mistaken for a serious American
college senior. His English is eX-
Cellent. This first call was soon
after the Gen. De Gaulle headquar-
ters In America announced that
when thev controlled Martinique the
United States could have that high
Il desirable Navy base there. The
CAPTAIN vas asked to comment.
THAT is very liberal of De Gaulle"
he remarked. You know in France
We have story about a fellow who
sold a bear skin. He did not men
ton the fact the skin was still on
the bear. and the bear was still up
in the mountains"
Sympathy Died at Dakar.
That was the start of one of the
answers to one of the questions We
came here to ask. the official resc-
ton to the De Gaulle movement.
The opinion Of Capt. Bayle is gen.
eral In all Official circles. De Gaulle,
they will tell YOU. is synonymous
with the British. and the British are
hated only slightly less than the
italians. They will tell you that
whatever sympathy his move may
have commanded died at Dakar.
De Gaullc's followers probably will
answer this one with: Sure, and
look who's talking. officials ap-
pointed from Vichy, and who's the
real boss in Vichy?'
There has been a decided tighten
ing Of discipline among these mill
tarv officials il the last few weeks
One well-infOrmed FrenChman told
lis that month ago he would have
said that an American landing
would have been met by opposition
only enough to save the face at
Vichy. Today he will not say that.
He believes these officials would
direct a pretty GOOD fight.
This NAV be just one mans
opinion, but if he is right this fight
could be costly. In this noun
famous terrain and along the twist
ing. narrow roads a few carefully
selected machine gunners could do
lot of damage long after forts
and other central points were 81
fenced.
Soldiers Busy.
Col. Emile Quenardel has been
placed in charge of all land forces
here. A veterans Campai9ner with
three wound stripes and many dec
orations, he is every inch soldier.
He was appointed while discipline
was low. Some fellow officers ar
ranged a big party in his honor,
with champagne and all the trim
nlings. He called it off.
when 100000 Frenchmen are
prisoners of war it is no time to
celebrate he said.
So they arranged review in his
honor. He set the time at am,