Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-28
Vichy Voices

Two important announcements
have been made by outstanding
Frenchmen One by Pierre Laval,
Frances foremost Nazi sympathizer;
the other by General Maxine Wey-
gand, commander in chief of the
Vichy forces in North Africa. Both
support intellectually the Petain
governments policy of close collabo-
ration with Germany and reveal the
irreparable decision taken by Vichy
in consequence of the agreement
made between Admiral Darlan and
Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden.
Laval's statement, given in the
form OF press interview, was ad-
dressed to the American public, and
since he is completely identified with
the Reich authorities it can be
classed as German propaganda. The
interview was a mixture of warnings
to America not to plunge into the
European maelstrom, of appeals not
to block Frances evolution in Hit
ler's new order" and of asserted per-
Sonal regard for America and Ameri-
cans. In all this there is nothing
new. We have heard it many times
before. The most interesting point
about this interview does not lie in
what was said. 1t is the fact that
Laval, fervidly ambitious candidate
for leadership of Nazi-dominated
France, now openly backs his rival,
Admiral Darlan, and tacitly &C
quieSces in the latters retention of
first place, under the old marshal, in
the Vichy regime. Laval evidently
has had his orders from Berlin and
obediently falls into line.
General Weygands utterance was
addressed, not to America, but to
leading members of the French COL
ony in Fee, a city in French Morocco,
whittier he had flown on a special
trip from his headquarters in Algiers.
1t should be remembered that Mo-
rocco is not technically part of the
French colonial empire, but pro-
tectorate with an ostensibly ruling
Sultan bound to France by treaties
which give the French effective con-
troll. There has been considerable
unrest in Morocco. The native popu-
lation has been hard hit economically
by the war, while the French colony
is repeatedly affected by sympathy
for General De Gaulle and his Free
French" cause. Obviously, General
Weygand felt impelled to take spe-
cial trip to an important Moroccan
center in order to make his position
clear.
If any lingering hopes of winning
General Weygand over survived in
Britain and America. his Fee speech
should have dissipated them. EN-
phatically he proclaimed once more
his complete solidarity with Marshal
CVdlll dilo I'LL e" Vic WClSut
of his approval behind the Vichy gov
ernment's policy of close Franco
German understanding. "All French
men," asserted Weygand, concerned
with the future of continental
France as well as the empire should
subscribe unanimously to the prin-
ciples Of the policy of collaboration"
He climaxed his speech with an ap-
peal for discipline and union" and
urged his hearers to follow without
hesitation the way mapped out by
the venerated chief of the commu-
nifty Of Frenchmen"
Nothing could be palmer than that.
The generalisSimo of Frances over
seas armies and the military superior
of General Dentz in Syria, proclaims
that he backs the Vichy regime I'M
reservedly and is ready to obey it's
policies, wherever these may lead.
1t is salutary to know the truth, no
matter how unpala table. General
Weygand has cleared the air of any
illusions,