Evening star., 1942-06-11
Admiral Leuhy Reports

The press conference given by
Admiral William D. Leahy throws
a revealing light on conditions in
France today. In this first public
utterance since his return to Amer
lea, the sailor diplomat made it clear
that the vast majority Of the French
people are anti-Axis and pro-
American. The traditional friend
ship between the two nations lies
deep in French hearts, and amid
their present sufferings America
appears as a ray of hope for the
future.
This is one of the reasons given
by Admiral Leahy for our Govern
ment's policy of maintaining diplo-
matte relations with Vichy, despite
the internal changes in that regime.
Stunned by the sudden military
collapse of two years ago, oppressed
and exploited by barbarian" in
vader, the French people are de-
scribed by the admiral as unor-
ganized, inarticulate and with no
influence upon either the compost
ton or policy of the government at
Vichy. Nevertheless, he points out
that there is no agency other than
that government through which we
can maintain contact with the
French people" which has made it
possible to assist the French people
in keeping alive their hope for an
eventual Gcliverance from their op-
pressors.' 1t is interesting to note
that this is precisely the line of rea-
soning set forth recently by Prime
Minister Mackenzie King before the
Canadian Parliament when he de-
Tended his policy of maintaining
diplomatic relations with the Vichy
regime.
Admiral Leahy drew a sympathetic
portrait of Marshal Petain, the
eighty -SiX-year-old chief OF state,
for whom our Ambassador ex-
pressed a high personal regard"
adding that their relations had
been close and cordial" Despite
the fact that Petain was under
constant and cruel pressure from
the invader" Admiral Leahy pointed
out that 80 far as 1 know, except
for the agreement entered into be-
tween France and Japan in Indo-
China, no positive action as yet
taken by the marshals government
since the armiStice has been of ma
terial military assistance to the Axis
powers" In this connection, reliable
diplomatic sources report that Mar
shall Petain has abandoned his for
mer belief in a German victory and
is now convinced that the Axis ulti-
mately will be defeated. Petain has
made no secret of the fact that his
policy of collaboration with the
Axis was motivated by stern neceS-
sity rather than by any genuine
acquiescence in an Axis new order"
in Europe like that held by Laval
and the small group of avowed pro-
Germans such as Doriot II, now,
Petain's change of mind is reflected
widely, as is probable, we may hope
to see a corresponding change OF
policy even within the ranks OF the
Vichy regime, so far as circum-
stances permit. This will render 1t
still more difficult for Laval, or any
other proGerman who might be
forced upon Petain from Berlin, to
do Germany's bidding. Even up to
this time, Laval seems to have been
unable to be of much tangible Serv-
ice to his German masters. The
French Fleet is still in French hands,
and the best information indicates
that mutiny and sabotage would
break out among the crews If an
attempt were made to turn the fleet
over to the Germans.
Vichy has thus shown seemingly
irreducible minimum OF recalcl-
trance to German pressure even
when the outlook was darkest. That
obstinacy should increase as the
prospect brightens. OF course, Ger
many still has the physical power to
sweep Vichy away and occupy all
France. But, already spread thin
and faced with the menace of
second front" in western Europe,
that is the last thing Germany
would want to do 1t looks as though