Evening star., 1941-11-30
North African Bases
Yielded by Vichy 10
Nazis, London Hears
4 Declared Token Over;
Report Is Denied by
French Sources
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. GA foreign
source reported tonight that the
vichy government had yielded to
German demands for air and naval
control in French North Africa
along both the Mediterranean and
the Atlantic.
Supervision of four air bases for
merly linked by the French COM
mercial airline, Air France, already
has been taken over by German off,
GERS, ground crews and personnel,
this source said.
TIE modern Tunisian port OF
Bizerte. one Of Frances wartime
naval bases. likewise has been yield
ed, he added.
On Vichy. government sources
denied categorically that air and
naval bases had been ceded to
the Germans and gave official
assurance that no Germans have
filtered into the North African
territory.
CThe Free French radio at
BraZzaville, heard by the N. 2.
c. in New York, charged that
German secret agents are pour
ing into French Morocco in
such numbers that they form the
nucleus of small army. 1t
said German armiStice commits
sions were increasing in size,
while Italian commissions were
being reduced. The same source
said German submarines in the
Mediterranean are not using the
French base at Casablanca but
are refueling at secret bases
farther along the coast0
Reports Unconfirmed.
None of these reports could be
confirmed Immediately in either
British or American circles in
London.
The air bases are Rabat, on the
Atlantic coast of French Morocco;
Meknes, an important interior air
6rome southwest of FeZ, and Sfax
and Gabes, Mediterranean airports
in Eastern Tunisla.
The heavily fortified line in the
old defense area between Tunlsia
and Tripolitania also was reported
70 have been subjected to infiltra-
ton by small groups of Germans.
This was the line on which the
French counted to block possible
Italian attacks against Tunisia.
The London source suggested the
Germans and Italians might be
planning to utilize these interlinking
Notifications along the Tunlsla-
Tripolitania frontier if they are
beaten by the British in Libya.
Reports from Morocco, he added,
told how Germans were using
French ports in North Africa for
regular refueling Of submarines.
Vichy, he said, was apparently
continuing to resist some reported
German demands, including hand-.
ing over the French feet, together
with use Of all important French
ports.
Possibility of Control.
What refusal of these and similar
demands might bring was still OBJ
cure. he declared, although the pos
sibility of complete German occupa-
ton of France and undisguised Nazl
control of Marshal Henri Philippe
Petains government was not to be
excluded. he added.
The London source interpreted the
reports of German infiltrations in
French North Africa as confirmation
that Vichy may have agreed to per-
nit free passage of German troops
through her colonies.
Meanwhile. the French Cabinet
met in Vichy to consider what was
described as routine business and
postponed again consideration of a
successor to former National De-
fense Minister Gen. Charles Hunt
ziger, who was killed II days ago
in the crash Of the plane on which
he was returning from an inspection
of Frances North African naval, air
and army bases. and defense con-
ferences with Gen. Maxine Wey-
gand. Gen. Weygand since has been
dismissed from his post as pro-con-
sui in Africa, repeatedly on German
demands because he resisted Nazi
movements in Morocco and Tunisia.