Evening star., 1941-08-11
Has Vichy Surrendered?

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plicationS of the statement given out
in Paris to representatives of the
American press by Fernand de
Brinon. Here is no diScredited poll
tician like Laval or paid Nazi agent
like the hack writer's of the German
controlled Paris press. De Brinon is
the accredited representative of the
Vichy government, and he spoke in
his official capacity. 1t is unthink-
able that his words do not reflect
the views of his superiors. Yet if
words mean anything they clearly
indicate that the Vichy government
has decided upon full-fledged COL
laboration with Germany and that
France may be considered virtually
a member of the Axis.
De Brinon began by making a
surprising generalization. He as
serted that the world is divided by
two antagonistic concepts. One of
these, championed by Britain and
indorsed by the Roosevelt admins
tration, is that of MARKHAM democ-
racy." The other, championed by
the Axis powers, "is based on social
ism of national type, which means
a new distribution of the wealth of
the globe. The French government
considers that it is in the interests
of France to espouse the latter con-
ception and to work for its accom-
plishment."
Having thus laid down the ideo-
logical basis for Vichy's attitude, De
Brinon went on to criticize severely
the allegedly unWarranted threats
by which the American Government
had attempted to forbid the French
government to collaborate politically
with Germany" which is the busi-
ness of France and Marshal Petain,
mot that of Messieurs Roosevelt and
Welles"
Nothing can be palmer than that.
De Brinon's blast amply justifies our
State Departments healthy skep-
ticism regarding Vichy's recent
diplomatic note lamely attempting
to explain Vichy's policy in Syria and
1ndo-China, and giving assurances"
that it intended to protect the rest
of its colonial empire whenever pos
sible." The defense of French North
Africa and Dakar will be possible"
for Vichy only so long as Hitler does
not think the time is yet ripe to
start things there in big way. That
is the grim deduction which must
be drawn.
The only uncertainty appears to
be what order the steps in French
collaboration with the Axis will take.
There is some evidence for the belief
that the first step will be a Franco
German alliance against Soviet Rus
sia, to give the Reich added prestige
in its crusade against Communism"
and bolster German morale by
cheap diplomatic victory. Germany
is so preoccupied in Russia and the
weather in North Africa is still so
hot that it may not suit German
plans to strike in the Mediterranean
region before early autumn.
Yet London seems to fear that
active Vichy cooperation with the
Axis may come very soon. On Sat-
urday evening the British Broad
casting Corporation asserted that
Admiral Darlan is preparing the
French feet for German service" It
has long been known that French
sailors were being released from
German prison camps on the under
standing that they return to active
duty with the fleet, and Darlan's
anti-British attitude is a matter of
record.
1t is true that Marshal Petain, Ad-
miral Darlan, General Weygand and
their colleagues are still "in confer
ence," allegedly debating which way
France will decide to go in the crucial
choice between the Axis and the
democracies. But, unless De Brinon
has exceeded his instructions, there
seems little doubt that the fateful
cholce already has been made.