The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-09-05

- E< washington ad-
Marshal Petain ministration is
C. thoroughly sick
Of Vichys Petain-Dar4an regime.
AT first there was a certain
amount of American sympathy for
Marshal Petain, as a poor old man
who'd submitted TO Herr Hitler's
dictation because he couldn't help
himself, but now the convictions
crystallized that he genuinely is as
much Of a totalitarian as Adolf or
Signor Mussolini.
In fact, he's rated as a rather
meaner specimen than Benito.
II Duce started as a dictator on
his own account. He had a GER
tain amount Of excuse for It. Italy
was in frightful economic shape.
He took the situation in hand and
really improved it, perhaps more
or less unconsciously sliding into
his dictatorial role in the process.
Then he tied up with Der Fuehrer
and today he does as the latter
tells him. Or else. He undoubt-
edly didn't intend that, either. He
couldn't help himself.
Marshal Petain thought he saw.
q chance to become dictator Of
France by accepting a sub-dicta-
torship under Adolf. He did it de-
hberately.
At his advanced age, probably
he found active sub-dictating too
much for him. Accordingly, the
other day, he took Admiral Darlan
into partnership with him. He
didn't retire, though. In announc-
ing the arrangement he referred
to, I'VE, the government, Admiral
Darlan and myself" But, Of course,
they're beth subs under Adolf.
The New Order
The narshars latest stunt is 70
launch the French Legion OF Vet
Grams and Volunteers OF the Ma
tional Revolution.
4ne name S roo long. II needs TO
be c&npacted into something like
the Nazis in Germany, the Fas-
cists In Italy or the Falangists in
Spain, for those are exactly the
set-ups 1t corresponds to. It's to
be Frances sole political party
under the absolute domination of
I'VE, the government, Admiral
Darlan and myself"-subject, nat
urally, TO Herr Htler's superiority.
Apparently. though, the French
aren't falling for the new order as
generally as Italians fell for Fas-
cism or Germans for Nazism.
General de Gaulle's Free French
men are on the anti-totalitarian
rampage abroad and colonially
And there appears to be plenty Of
anti-totalitarian INSTRUMENTATION in
the home country. The shooting Of
pro-Nazi Pierre Laval and Marcel
Deaf surely suggested II. Further
more, Marshal Petain himself not
long ago mentioned an i'll wind
that has been rising in many re-
gions in France" It evidently is
an ill wind" from the totalitarian
standpoint.
On top Of all this came publica-
ton Of the story that Vichy agents,
working under direction Of CASTOR
Henri-Haye, Vichy's Washington
ambassador, have been playing the
Nszis game in the United States,
trying to plant propaganda and
sopping up military information
for totautarian enlightenment.
The yarn includes the assertion
that General de Gaulle. backed by
British naval strength. would have
gained possession Of strategic Da-
kar for the democratic Free
French, II Vichy hadn't been
warned in advance, from Ambas-
sador Henri Hayes Washington
headquarters, TO be on the lookout
for him, as a result Of which
Vichy's Dakar forces successfully
fought him of, as it's unlikely
they could have done If he'd caught
'em Unexpectedly.
Vlchy Is TN Bad"
II hardly needs saying that It's
highly undiplomatic for embassies
70 engage in such practices, II they
can be proved against 'em.
All In all, Vichy's 'in bad" with
the state department.
It's past point where Marshal
Petain's assessed as a poor old
man He's beginning to be classed
as about as mean as Hitler, and
Intentionally so, though not as