Evening star., 1942-11-20
Wi||kie and Reporter
Verify u. 5. Curbs on
Formers Vichy Talk
Reference to DurIun
Withdrawn and London
Popers Dispatch Cut
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Nov. 20.-Wendell
Willkie said last night that at the
request of Secretary of War Stimson
he dropped reference to Admiral
Darlan as "Hitler's toor' from his
Herald Tribune forum speech.
Asked about reports that the Sec
fetary telephoned him As minutes
before he spoke last Monday night.
requesting elimination of the refer
ence on the grounds that it might
upset" Admiral Darlan and inter
tere with the North African cam
paign, Mr.. Willkie said:
THE facts are substantially cor
rect"
"A 12-hour censorship on inter-
pretatiye stories on the speech by
British correspondents, making it
impossible for the dispatches to get
abroad until late Tuesday morn
f1g. was revealed by Don Iddon.
chief correspondent In the United
States for the London Daily Mail
and associated newspapers.
British Reporter Curbed.
Mr.. Iddon said censors advised
him they would clear the Darlan
references In Mr.. WILKES speech
only II Mr.. Iddon interpreted Mr..
Wilkes remarks as referring to the
V1chy policy OF the American Gov
eminent as it existed before the
North African invasion instead of
describing Mr.. WILKES comments
as criticism Of the present dealings
with Admiral Darlan.
Mr.. Iddon said that although he
nled his story about 4:30 pm. Mon
day, he was not notified of its clear
ance by censors until 10 am. Tues
day, about II hours after Mr.. Willkie
spoke.
Mr.. Wilkes original text con-
tanned the paragraph:
Shall we in America be quiet,
for instance, when our leaders, after
promising freedom to the French
people, put IN control over them the
very man who has helped to en-
slave them? Shall we be quiet when
we see our Governments long ap-
peasement of Vichy find its logical
conclusion in our collaboration with
Darlan, Hitler's tool? Such collabo-
ration outrages the spirit of free
people everywhere, whatever expedi-
ency dictates it,
Quotation Deleted.
The only portion of this para
graph which Mr.. Willkie used after
his telephone conversation with Mr..
Stimson was:
Shall We be quiet when we see
our State Departments long ap-
peasement Of Vichy?"
Commenting on the fact that
President Roosevelt had referred to
Admiral Darlan's position at his
press conference Tuesday afternoon,
Mr.. Willkie said:
was happy to see that the Pres
ident confirmed what I wrote, but
was unable to deliver, about Darlan.
The more see of some of our CEN
sorship. the less I think of it,"
The President at that time said
I'VE are opposed to French minis
ters who support Hitler and the
Axis" and added "the present tenn
porary arrangement in North and
West Africa is only temporary ex-
pedient justified solely by the stress
of battle"
Stimson Phones Willkie.
Mr.. Willkie. it was learned. COM
pleted the draft of his speech last
Sunday night and it was released
to the newspapers and press asso-
Citations about II am. Monday, ap-
proximately 111a hours before he
was scheduled to speak.
At approximately 945 pm. last
Monday Mr.. Willkie received a call
at his Fifth avenue home from Sec
retary Stimson Mr.. Stimson. it was
understood, said that he had learned
that Mr.. WILKES address carried
comment on Admiral Darlan.
The Secretary of War. it was re-
ported, told Mr.. Willkie that he had
not read the speech but that If Mr.
Willkie did criticize Admiral Darlan
that would interfere with the oper-
stions of the American forces,
teopardize the lives of thousands Of
soldiers and upset Mr.. Darlan.'
Mr.. Willkie did not give any
specific promises that he would re-
wise his remarks but afterward de-
cided to agree to the Secretarys
request.