Evening star., 1942-05-24
Laval Is Called Not Necessarily
ADisadyantage to Allied Cause
Viewed as an Opportunist Brought Forth by the
Times, He Is Able to Play Faction
Against Faction
By Feir Morley
By Felix Morley.

On April IA Pierre Laval returned to
power at vichy. Many and dire were
the predictions of immediate disaster
to follow. "The but hers son is ready
for butchery," announced one news
weekly, referring to the humble origin
Of the man it characterized as "Hitlers
No. French servant" And that def
milton was representative of our press
and radio comment.
For over a month now Laval has been
~chief of government" in France. The
great naval base of Diego Suarez,- on the
island of Madagascar, has during that
period been occupied by British troops.
At our request French warships in the
West Indies are being immobilized.
There has been a clash between French
and British planes off the Algerian coast.
But in spite of dangerous and increasing
tension there is as yet no sign of positive
French action to align that nation more
closely with the Axis.
Can 1t be that again, as so often in
the past, the complicated picture of
French politics has been over-simplified
for American consumption?
Such misjudgment was habitual here
three years ago. At that time France
was virtually bankrupt, torn by social
discomfort, lacking in effective leader
ship and wholly unprepared for war in
both moral and physical factors. Yet
American protests over Munich and its
aftermath. when France backed down
Sh uyoC M tn nt
wise. were Of very definite influence in
the reluctant French decision to fight
In behalf of Poland.
Ruin a Year Afterward.
In less than year from that date the
French armies had been utterly smashed,
the country overrun by German troops
and the general subordination of its pol
icies to Axis domination, for the dura-
ton of the war, thereby rendered inev-
table
Now the issue of whether the United
States should break relations with
France is posed. The magnitude of the
issue should not be concealed by describ-
ing it as merely break with "Vichy,"
form of words perhaps utilized because
of the chance similarity between that
place name and our adjective vicious"
The government at Vichy is still the
government of France. Therefore 1t Is
the government of that country which
more than any other helped us to the
position where we have the power to de-
eide whether or not we wish to maintain
friendship with other nations.
The individualistic philosophy of the
American people, not yet subdued by pa
ternalism, inclines us to the belief that
man can always control circumstances.
Arguing from that assumption we con-
clude that Laval, as an example, can
personally exercise decisive influence in
leading France either into or out of the
Axis camp.
Perhaps it accords more closely with
facts to assert that force of circum-
stances determines the type of leader
ship brought forward in any COM
munity at any given time. From this
viewpoint the acquisition of power by
Laval would lead to less vitriolic con-
clusions. For there is no doubt that he
Is the sort of political opportunist who
is called for by the present equivocal
situation in France.
No Real Freedom Of Action.
That proud nation has not merely
been beaten to the ground in battle.
During the past two years it has also
been Inundated in manner unpre-
cedented in history. German pressures
have combined with those of the block
ade to force a complete reorientation OF
French economy in the interest of the
Axis Political considerations have as
sisted the trend. If Hitler is not salts
fed with the policy of Vichy he can at
any moment permit Mussolini to satisfy
his territorial ambitions at French ex-
pense. At this stage of the war no
French government has, or can have,
any real freedom of action.
At the same time public sentiment in
defeated France continues, even against
great obstacles and discouragements. to
favor the United Nations. 1t Is evident
that many of the bureaucrats and en-
ployers who collaborate with the Axis
do so not from choice but out of stark
necessity. Merely from the viewpoint