Evening star., 1942-07-16
Those Vichy French Ships

InoSe VlCny Frencn SnIpS
The mounting controversy over
the disposition of the long -interned
French warships at Alexandria,
Egypt, is causing another crisis in the
checkered diplomatic relations be-
tween Washington and Vichy.
This squadron was serving with the
British fleet in the eastern Mediter-
ranean when France signed its arm
istice with Germany and dropped out
of the war in June, 1910. Its person.
mel, under command of Rear Admiral
Godfrey, declared it's allegiance to
the new French government of Mar
shall Petain, and in the tense state of
Anglo-French relations which then
prevailed, the British authorities in
Egypt refused to allow the squadron
to return to France. A compromise
was therefore arranged whereby the
ships were partially demilitarized
and informally interned at Alexan-
dria, Britain's big Levantine naval
base. There they have lain at anchor
for more than two years.
Until Marshal Rommel'S recent
drive, this arrangement worked salts
factorily The impounded squadron
was not formidable enough to make
it's taking over by the British worth
the ensuing diplomatic complica-
tions, so long as powerful British
battle fleet controlled the eastern
Mediterranean. 1t consists of one old
battleship, three heavy and one light
cruisers of more modern vintage,
three destroyers and a submarine.
But Rommel's approach to Alexan-
dria changed not merely the military
but also the naval situation. Alex
andria became an insecure base for
the British fleet, and it is thought
that some heavy units have been
withdrawn through the Suez Canal
into the Red Sea, out of range of
Stuka bombers and torpedo planes.
The British warships which recently
Shelled the port of Mersa Matruh
apparently were medium or light
units. Obviously, with the eastern
Mediterranean denuded of British
capital ships, the interned Vichy
squadron might play an important
role if they fell into German hands.
OF course, two years at anchor have
probably rendered them unfit for i'm
mediate effective battle use. But
Alexandria has first-class dockage
and repair facilities; so the barnacles
soon could be scraped off, new parts
brought from France, and the
strongly pro-Vichy personnel would
probably obey orders.
Those orders might we'll be to fight
the British. Vichy has refused pro-
posals, first from Britain and then
from America, to pass the ships
through the Suez Canal and REIN
tern them or let them join the war
ships impounded at Martinique, in
the French West Indies. Vichy in
sists that the squadron be allowed to
sail for home. This, the British
naturally refuse to do, and Acting
Secretary of State Sumner Welles, in
his comment on those futile negotia-
tions, voices the belief that Britain
would be fully justified in seizing or
destroying the ships to prevent their
falling into Axis hands. Certainly,
the job would have to be thorough
one, because merely scuttling them in
Alexandra harbor would leave them
to be quickly pumped out and raised
by Rommel and his efficient en-
gineers.
Whatever the diplomatic conse-
quences involved, those ships never
ought to be allowed to fall under
Axis control. The strategic stakes
are too great for paltering half
measures. Pierre Laval, the Vichy
Chief of Government, has made 1t
crystal clear that he is working hand
in-glove with the Axis. AS far back
as last April, he declared publicly:
I'VE are faced with this alternative
either to integrate ourselves with the
new Europe or resign ourselves to
seeing our civilization disappear"
On June 81, he completely threw of
the mask and stated in an appeal to
French workers to volunteer for fac
tory service in Germany: II hope for
German victory, because without 1T
Bolshevism in the future will be es-
tablished everywhere"
Surely that should make it plain
that those French ships at Alex
andria must be kept out of Lavals
clutches.