Evening star., 1941-08-28
De Gau|Ie Advisers
Back Offer Of Bases
And Await u. ). Reply
Free French Leader
Content to Let Americans
Weigh Dokor Warning
By GEORGE WELLER,

BY GEORGE WELLER,
Correspondent of The Star and Chicago
Daily News.
BRAZZAVILLE, French Equatoria,
Africa, Aug. % (By Radio Gen
Charles de Gaulle's open offer to
the United States to permit the
American fleet and air arm to use
bases on the coast of the Cameroons
Gabon and French Equatorla
Africa, in order to counterac'
Hitlers penetration of Dakar ano
French West Africa, was the suoJecl
of unrestrictedly favorable comment
in the narrow circle of Gen. de
Gaulles advisers among whom 1t hao
become known today.
No public announcement OF dc
Gaulle's decision has been maoe ano
1t was evident that the Free French
authorities would walt until news
of the offer, made in yesterday
exclusive interview with this writer
returned from the United States be-
fore amplifying their chiefs state
ment.
(Secretary Hull said yesterday
that his first knowledge OF the
De Gaulle offer came from the
Weller story in The Star. In other
diplomatic quarters there were
reports today that the De Gaulle
representatives several times have
approached Government depart
ments, other than the State De-
partment, with similar proposal.
[See This Changing World"
page A-10D.
Whether Libreville, another
French port on the Gulf of Guinea
was included in De Gaulle's offer OF
Duala, Port Gentil and Pointe Noir
remained unrevealed.
Awaiting American Reaction.
In the early morning hours when
the last guests, including several Of
ficials from the Belgian Congo cap
ital of Leopoldville, still were making
their way homeward through streets
decorated with the tricolor from
the grand ball held to celebrate the
first birthday OF Free French Africa
Gen. de Gaulle, himself, who had ap-
peared last night only long enough
for an exchange of salutes, resumed
his conferences with his defense
staff.
1t was evident that, having ex-
pressed his opinion that Adolf Hitler
already controlled bases in Vichy-
Africa and that when it suited the
Nazi plans they would be occupied
with as little ceremony as were the
Syrian airports, the tall, inciSive
leader of Free Frenchmen was con-
tent to let the Americans alone
weigh the value and import of his
words. Whether they chose to heec
them, Gen. de Gaulle evidently con.
sidered a matter for themselves tt
decide.
Those French officers who riSkee
their lives to share Gen. de Gaulle':
stormy fortunes expressed warm ap-
proval of his throwing the cards or
the table for the American people
after his offer, which was made Il
the United States Government sew
eral days age through diplomatic
channels, remained unprodUCtive o
action on Americas part.
They we're frankly delighted tina
Gen de Gaulle mad expressed hi
views with a boldness which woult
have been impossible for him to uss
fronssgHfSv@sFA Aen dorsassssSu9
ImpaFta of Dakar skn0wn.
What DesGatifIe hssssaid Is moth.
ing new ran the prevailing tenol
of their comments. For months WI
have been reading articles in tht
American press which analyze cor.
rectly Dakar's Importance as ar
aerial and naval gateway to the
Western Hemisphere. Not alone
President Roosevelt, but a majority
of the American tacticians seem te
recognize that Dakar in Hitler:
hands would mean threat compar.
able to NaZi bases in Ireland. i
those American views are anything
more than talk, they deserve action.
The Free French are perfectly
frank about admitting that had the
British fleets attempt to take Dakal
been successful there would today
probably be less necessity for Ameri-
can precautionary measures on the
African coast. But since the Dakal
situation ended in an Allied setback
and the Free French are perfectly
willing to share full responsibility
with the British therefor-the cita
del of West Africa has been grow.
ing in strength and proportionately
in boldness.
The forced landing of a Vichyis
Glenn Martin bomber during hur.
rlcane three days ago, while it wa!
attempting to reconnoiter over tht
British base at Freetown, is sympto.
matte of the fact that the Vichyist.
are already feeling out British re.
sistance. Such a move would have
been undertaken only at Nazi sug.
gestion e
Proof is not lacking that tn,
Syrian affair has brought tn,
French navy further into cooper
alton with Hitler than is admitted
even in Allied circles. This CORE
spondent, when flying over Saloniks
Harbor as German prisoner two
months ago, saw Germany using s
supply ship of about 1000 ton
marked with the French tri-color.
large white hospital ship, withou
colors, also was in port and an un,
marked destroyer which may hav,
been either French or Italian. Blu
Vichyist naval cooperation with tn,
Germans was clinched by the sigh
of the big Messageries maritime
steamer Theophile Gauthier lying II
the harbor with its name painted il
large letters on its side.
Gen. De Gaulle does not deny tha
the United States, by large-scale
risky transatlantic operation, nigh
be able to take Dakar after th'
Nazis arrive in force. But h,
frankly says it might prove to be /,
costly operation. 1t would involv
preliminary occupation of Portu
guese Madeira, which has no harbo
but only an open roadstead, and ais
the Spanish Canary Islands.
Furthermore. the Germans woul,
almost certainly swarm into tn
Iherian PeninsIlla without resist