Evening star., 1941-08-11
Germany Reported
Piqued by Italian
Demands on France
Claims Described as
Premature in Light
Of Rome's Difficulties
By DAVID M. NICHOL,

teresting sidelights to the crisis in
Vichy is the part which Italy, os-
tensible co-conqueror of the French
Republic, is playing, or rather is
not playing, in its development.
A revealing dispatch from the
Berlin correspondent of the Journal
of Geneva more than plainly hints
at the displeasure with which Italian
demands on France are being re-
ceived in the Wilhelmstrasse. Such
claims, it says, are considered in
well-informed circles in Berlin as
premature" particularly in the
light of Italian difficulties in Croatia
and Greece.
The comment in the Reich was
provoked by an article in every one
of the Fascist organs in Italy. The
article suggested that the new
Europe" might be organized without
France should the French continue
to be difficult. The answer in Berlin,
according to the Journal of Geneva,
was thinly veiled warning to Rome
to keep its hands off the situation
at least until it had cleaned up its
own problems in the Balkans, where
reports tell of daily increasing dis
turbanceS.
Initiative in Nazis' Hands.
"Since the establishment of the
policy of montoire collaboration >,
all initiative toward France is in the
hands of Germany" the journal
said, where italian claims, espe-
cially as result of the campaigns
in Yugoslavia and Greece. have be-
come unpopular" The limits of
Italian influence" especially in for
mer Yugoslavia, are not yet clearly
fixed, the newspaper added.
German pique about the Italians
is logical development from the
feeling which was aroused in Berlin
when the Italians entered the war
against France literally only few
hours before the armistice-a feel
ing which increased when it became
necessary for the Germans to go to
the aid of their Junior partner to
the south during the British cam
paign in Africa and which apparent
ly has not diminished since.
Seek Additional Allies.
Faced now with an enemy in the
east which is fighting stubbornly
and with apparent success against
the previously invincible blitzkrieg,
the Germans obviously are seeking
additional allies. 1t explains some
of the urgency of their negotiations
with Vichy and some of their annoy
ance at anything which might upset
the delicate and brittle formula on
which they are proceeding.
How much assistance France could
provide its European masters in
their death struggle with Russia is
an open question. Small groups of
volunteers" already are reported to
be fighting with the German forces
although there are indications that
with each day that Soviet resistance
continues French public opinion
veers farther from the policy of
Pierre Laval, Fernand de Brinon and
Admiral Jean Darlan Paris dis
patches to the German and Swiss
press alike quote the Nazi controlled
newspapers here as charging that
French feeling swings like weather.
cock with each change in the Ger
man prospects and that a Vichy
governmental shake-up is necessary.
as result. to install a group which
understands the Importance of CO.
operating with the Nazi new order. I"
Weygand Reaction Watched.
Military and naval concessions in
North Africa would be an obvious
advantage both for protection of the
Reich's southern flank and for the
aid of its italian partner. Gen.
Maxine Weygand's reaction to these
proposals, as result, is being
watched most closely in both Vichy
and Berlin
Industrially. France can do little
more than it has already done
Those of its factories which are
working are occupied with German
orders and the problem of mateHals
grows daily more serious. The Vichy
correspondent of the Tribune of
Geneva reported recently that cop
per was the worst deficiency but
that nickel, zinc and tin were also
missing.
Since 1899, the newspaper said.
France has been living on its re-
serves which have been largely ex-
hausted already in filling German
requirements. Even the use of sub
stitutes, it said, is curtailed because
of the lack OF coal necessary in their
manufacture and processing.
| Copyright, 1941, Chicago Daily News, Inc)