Evening star., 1941-08-27
Continued From First Page.)

with Hitler. The third step was that
they undertook to collaborate with
Hitler's plans. Those steps were sep.
arately taken and each closed a
new door to retreat. They cannot
turn back now, they can only GO
| farther in the same direction"
Trusts United States.
What would be your answer ii
you were accused by Vichy of bar
tering French African ports fol
United States aid?' asked the in
terviewer
My answer" he said, lis that
there is no more reason to believe
that the United States should break
its word of honor and keep the
French bases beyond the term of
the lease or the period needed as
defense against Hitler. than there
was to safeguard Brest and Bor-
deaux against the United States in
the last war before accepting
American help against the same
enemy"
Asked what result he believed
American severance of relations
with Vichy would have on the
French. Gen. de Gaulle said:
In my opinion the effect would
be very great
Does the American attitude to-
ward Vichy then really mean so
much to the average Frenchman?"
asked the interviewer with a sug-
gestion of irony which Gen. de
Gaulle did not fail to catch.
Il am not suggesting that the
French public is looking toward
America for cue to its political
opinions" he said. But at least the
situation would then be clearly de-
fined. 1t would be seen that Amer
lea at last had taken an unmistak-
able line against all those helping
Hitler. We know already what the
average Frenchman's feelings are
toward Vichy. The severance of re-
lations would indicate to him that
the American Government felt the
same way. Moreover, it would DEM
onstrate that American policy
toward Vichy was consistent with its
policy toward Berlin"
Route Heavily Travelled.
Asked what Vichy's reaction would
be if the United States broke rela-
tions with Vichy and accepted the
use of West African ports, Gen. de
Gaulle replied:
Possibly nothing very much would
happen. At least, not until Ger
many was able to ease up in its
struggle against Russia. Both the
United States and Vichy would sim
ply coast along, more or less as at
present. But if you are asking about
strategic considerations, that is diff
ferent. Examine any map showing
the route and frequency of British
conveys and you will find that the
most travelled path is around the
bulge of Africa.
For the protection of these ship
ping lanes, the Nazis cannot be al
lowed to use Vichy's African sol
in combined airplane and submarine
attacks or Britain's Middle Eastern
lifeline would be severed Britain
has Bathurst and Freetown, bu,
they are so small that Dakar easily
dominates them. They are too neal
and weak to serve as bases"
DO you think the United States
fleet could take Dakar?"
Not without q battle of consid-
cradle din ensions," replied Gen. de
Gaulle Nearby British ports are
exposed by nature and, furthermore
they have Inadequate facilities fol
their present needs. The same thine
applies to Acora and Takoradi or
the Gold Coast, asdt Lagos ir
Then you do not believe that the
United States should attempt to
take Dakar by force at any time
but rather, that the American feet
and air arm should establish bases
within the Gulf of Guinea as q
check upon the German advance
into Antique Occidentale Francaise?'
Gen. de Gaulle smiled family.
"You have grasped the reason fol
my offer to the United States" he
said gently.
Dakar Stronger Now.
Asked whether in his opinion the
Casablanca-Dakar railroad being
built by Polish miners and veterans
of the international brigade, ship
ped into A. o. F. French West
Africa from French concentration
camps, was what made Dakar dam
gerous to the United States. Gen
de Gaulle shook his head:
mot particularly. That is Just a
bluff. But Dakar was the strongest
base in West Africa before that and
it is even stronger now. The danger
to the United States, provided II
falls into Nazi hands, is not some
where in the future but imminent
immediate. 1t is only the lack OF
material that keeps Hitler from US
ing A. o. F. and that situation is de-
pendent only on his being tempor-
arily unable to spare aircraft from
the eastern front"
At no time during our As minutes
talk did Gen. de Gaulle fatty say
that uniformed Nazis were already
in French West Africa but he en-
phasized repeatedly that only sub
stantially increased naval and air
strength along the African curve
could handle them if they chose to
take over the established French
air bases in the characteristic Nazi
24-hour style.
His manner was that of a physi-
clan quietly advising precautions
against malady.
Urges Recognition.
During the course of the inter-
view, Gen. de Gaulle mentioned
Vichy Vice-Premier Jean Darlan s
name only once and Marshal Henry
Philippe Petain not at all The
writer asked if he believed that If
the United States Government de-
cided to break with Vichy it should
recognize Free France.
II believe that one step ought to
~ NOS