Evening star., 1941-09-21
British Plan Drive in Africa
Before Nazis Can Add to Army
English Diplomats Advise Early Attack, Believing
1t Would Have Determining Effect on
Peoples of France and Spain
Bv Constantine BrOaCn.

In occupied France things are still
worse Attacks on the German army OF
occupation are daily occurrence. 30
are acts of sabotage. Thousands are
being arrested and reports indicate that
scores are being executed. Some OF the
high-ranking Nazi generals have been
removed for not having foreseen or taken
, steps to prevent these outbreaks.
Former Premier Laval has recovered
from the assassins bullets. But ne Is
dead as far as the Germans are con-
cerned. Berlin has no use for men who
have to be protected and pushed in their
own country. They want their stooges to
have political umph. They thought
Laval had it. and even after his dismissal
from the vice premiership at Vichy they
thought he could be effective in France.
Large funds were placed at his dlsposal
to buy and bribe as many people as posi-
BILE. The Germans could afford to be
liberal with the money since the millions
alloc.ted to Lavals new order party came
from the 100000 francs the French
were paying each day to the Relcn 10
support the army Of occupation.
But neither money, promises nor Sill
ver-tongued oratory were OF any avail 10
Laval in putting over the idea OF CO.
operation with Germany. In snort
time he became the most hated and de-
srised man in France. The result was
Colette's pistol shots. Laval Will be
convalescent fol the rest OF his days.
The German political agents are scam
ming the list of possibilities for a sue
cessor to Laval, Otto Abetz, who knows
France we'll and is Herr Won Ribbentrop's
principal representative in Paris, sug-
gested a man who is now under arrest ft
Rion in Umoccupied France. 1t was
Edouard Daladier, former Premier and
War Minister of France.
Had Fair Following.
Dalader fought the Germans, had
fair following throughout the country,
il under arrest for having lost the war
but has never been considered pro-Ger-
man. His secretary lives in Paris. She
was invited recently by the German Am
bassador to spend week end at LIE
Touquet and there she was told to go to
Rion and see her former employer and
offer him the job of dictator of France.
The Germans promised him much
more support than they gave to Laval.
He was told that if he wanted, the Ger
mans could manage to get rid OF Petaln
and that he and Darlan would become
the sovereign rulers of France. Daladier,
a veteran of the last war is known to be
popular with the soldiers; unlike Lavhl,
he could speak their language. And Herr
Abetz was convinced that Daladier would
succeed where Laval had failed.
According to reliable reports from
Vichy, Daladier ordered his former secre-
tary out of the room the moment she
told him of her conversation with Abetz.
Daladier told her to inform Herr Abetz
and his friends that he would rather rot
for the rest of his days in dungeon (the
truth is that he is quite comfortably in
stalled in chateau now used as house
of detention for high-ranking politicians
than be free and rich as tool of the
NaZis.
The German government then went so
far as to approach Juhaux, one of the
leaders of the left-wing radical-socialists,
with the suggestion that he collaborate
with the Nazis in establishing a social
democratic state from Belgium to the
Pyrenees. But Juhaux, too, turned
deaf ear to the Nazis.
Spain More Favorable.
The situation in Spain is, on the sur
face, more favorable to the Reich. Cen
eralissimo Franco is still the supreme
ruler and his severe dictatorship makes
opposition impossible at present. But
there are as many undercurrents against
Franco and the Nazis in Spain as there
are in France According to reports from
Spain, no fewer than 100000 persons
are in Jail at the present moment. Ex-
ecutions on sentences dating back as far
as 18 months ago are daily occurrence.
There is starvation and hunger and dis
content which will flare up as soon as the
people-who fervently hope for restora-
ton of the monarchy with the third son
of the late King Alfonso on the throne
find that they can stage a successful
revolution. The Gestapo is as strong in
(See BROWN, Page BID