Evening star., 1942-04-16
Viehy Navy TO Resist
Nazi Rule, Free French
Admiral Believes
Auboyneou indicates
SeuttIine Before Use
Would Be Toleruted
Rr BLAIR ROLES.

The men in the N1cny French
Navy will ignore any orders that
would put the feet at the dis
posal OF Germany, Admiral Phil
ippe Auboyneau, the new COM
mander in chief of the Free
French Navy. said today in an
interview here.
Admiral Auboyneu. a. Ia stopping
In Washington on his way to Lon
don. He was in charge OF the de-
fense If New Caledonia, in the
South Pacific, when Gen. Charles
de Gaulle appointed him commander
In chief to succeed Admiral Emil
Muselier, the man who engineered
the seizure of St Pierre and
Mi1uelon.
The possibility that the strong
French fee, will be made available
10 Germany by vichy Ia one OF the
most anxious Questions now disturb
ing the United states and Our Allies,
The admiral said he had heard
reports ot Nazis being placed aboard
the French warships, which still are
responsible 10 Vichy, but despite
that he thought Germany would be
disappointed in its hopes of using
the French vessels
Sees Scuttling First.
Some French officers, the admiral
said. might be disposed toward coll
laboration, but not the men who
lack commissions. Without predict
Ing the future, he left the impress
sion the loyal Frenchmen on the
ships would scuttle them before
letting them operate in the Axis
interest
He spoke on the basis of his long
knowledge OF French naval oficers
and men and on the basis OF intelii.
sence reports sent 70 him from Lon.
don, He was active In the fight
against Germany as long as France
was in the war and he joined De
Gaulle shortly after the French
surrender In 1910.
What do you make OF the change
that puts Laval In power7" he was
asked.
TT simplifiss everything doesn't
it7" he replied.
Marines Case Cited.
The admiral was told during the
interview by another Free French
offieial about a French marine who .
recently escaped TO this country
after desertine from his ship In
North Africa. The marine said he
was offered ia,o0o francs a year by
Nazi agents to stay with his ship,
This is small fortune for a French.
man.
While the French naval feeling
against Germany 10 profound. the
admiral said, there is at the same
time disposition to remember the
British attack on the feet at Oran
and the British. Free French she'll
ing OF Dakar. These incidents have
not improved the vichy r,avy's
affinity for England.
Admiral Auboyneau expressed
concern over the prospect Of a Jap
anese move against the French
island OF Madagascar In the indian
Ocean--A likely base OF AIDS opera.
tions for harassinR the supply lines
of the Allies 10 the Persian Gulf
and the Red Sea.
Free French Fleet Small.
1t has been estimated that his
active Free French feet comprises
around $50 vessels, most OF them
small, although he has a few cruis.
ers and the worlds largest sub.
marine, the surcouf. This feet
could not cope with the vessels
which Prime Minister Churchill re.
ported the Japanese have operating
in the indian Ocean.
However. Admiral Auboyneau will
command q much larger flotilla II
Vichy takes steps TO turn Its vessels
over to the Axis That would be the
signal for the Allies to put into
action the French vessels now under
their control. but not used for
belligerent purposes.
These include the battleships
Paris, Courbet and Lorraine, % 900
tons each, which now are demih-
tarized, along with the cruisers Suf.
fern, 10000 tons; Duguay- -Trouin,
the DuQuesne and the Tourville.
These ships are In British hsrbors,
The plane carrier Bearn and the
cruisers Jeanne Dare and Emile
Bertin are in the haroor of Mar
Unique.
Vichy Fleet Big.
The Vichy French fleet includes
battleships, II light and heavy
cruisers, so destroyers and so SUBJ
marines. Some small Vichy ships
are at Madagascar. where the hsr-
Dor of Diego Suarez has been i'm
proved during the last two years.
Six Vichy cruisers are believed on
their way to Madagascar
The S5,o0o-ton battlsship Richelieu
Is stationed at Dakar. Her sister
ship, the Jean Bart, carrying l5-inch
guns, Is at Casablanca In French
North Africa. The battleships
StraSbourg and Dunkerque, both at
Toulon, naval base in Southern
France. are 26,500-ton vessels. The
Provence is 22,O00 tons. The Prov
epce and fhe D,lpkernps sern tp