Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-12
French Chaos

suSSaSu ~1uOOS
Like powerful acid, the American
invasion OF French North Africa,
though still only five days old, has
virtually dissolved the shaky and
anomalous structure of Vichy France,
and it has done SO not merely in the
African possessions Immediately in
vaded but in the homeland as well.
The situation in the hitherto I'M
occupied portion Of France shifts
SO rapidly from hour to hour that
any attempt here to describe it would
be promptly post-dated. The one
thing clear is that the Vichy regime
is falling to pieces, If it has not al
ready quite vanished. One of the
most important consequences of our
spreading occupation of French
North Africa is that it forced Adolf
Hitler to break the armistice agree
ment with Vichy and grab mill
tarily everything still under nominal
Vichy control that he could Law his
hands on before 1t might slip away
from him. This Axis occupation in
cludes both Southern France and
outlying bits such as Corsica and
Tunis. Undoubtedly, Hitler did this
with great reluctance. He realized
that it would solidify Frenchmen
everywhere against him, with the
exception of the handful of traitors
hopelessly committed to him. This
evidently has brought to an end Or
ganized Vichy French resistance in
North Africa to American occupa-
ton. 1t also means that Southern
France must be held down by large
Axis forces and that increased pre-
cautions must be taken in the pre-
viously occupied zone to prevent
widespread sabotage and possible
risings of Infatuated and desperate
persons. All that should occupy
many German and Italian divisions,
thereby increasing the strain on Axis
trained manpower, dangerously de-
pleted by staggering losses in Russia
and In North Africa. Vichy France
has suddenly been transformed from
an Axis asset into heavy liability.
1t Is impossible at this moment to
estimate just how the situation In
France itself will evolve. The temper
Of the French people is probably as
confused and complex as is the out
ward course Of events. For the past
two and one-half years, the French
have been undergoing a cumulative
martyrdom, both physical and spirit
ual Impoverished, half-starved, and
above all, deeply Inundated, they
suffer from a profound inferiority
complex, wherein they tend to hate
everybody, including themselves. In
such an abnormal state of mind,
almost any sort Of reaction is pos
sible. Probably, full-scale military
occupation not only by the generally.
hated Germans but also by the uni
versally despised Italians will soon
crystalize the French people into q
MOOD OF incorporating rebellion
against their Axis masters. II this
be 50, the internal divisions which
enabled scheming politicians like
Laval to play Germany's game will
vanish, and Hitler will henceforth
have to hold down France wholly by
brute force. That will be a costly
undertaking, full Of latent dangers
Tor the Axis. As for French North
Africa, the chances are good that it
may soon be willingly modified on
the side of the United Nations. The
Importance Of such voluntary aid in
breaking the last Axis footholds on
the Dark Continent and also in pre-
pairing the way for an Allied invasion
Of France itself should prove very
great.
BY and large, therefore, the COL
lapse Of the Vichy regime by German
Intervention under indirect Allied
pressure constitutes major triumph
for our side whose consequences,
strategic, political and moral alike
will be far reaching. The harvest
should be rich one. And it may
soon be garnered.