Evening star., 1942-04-08
Free French Africa

The State Departments qualified
recognition of the Free French re-
gime in Central Africa is another
logical step in its realistic. middle
of-the-road policy toward that dis
rupted political entity, the French
colonial empire. This overseas emf
pire, second only to Britain's in size
and extending to all parts Of the
globe, has presented a whole series
of thorny diplomatic problems ever
since the collapse of France before
the German invasion, nearly two
years ago.
While most of the French colonies
adhered to the new home govern
ment Established at Vichy, two i'm
portant blocs broke away and joined
the Free French movement of Gen
eral Charles de Gaulle, pledged to a
finish fight against the Axis. One OF
these segments consisted of the
French possessions in the Pacific
Ocean. The other was the big ak
panse of territory comprising French
Equatorial Africa and the adjacent
mandate Of Cameroons. Here, the
Free French regime has built up an
effective army and established the
main seat Of its power.
Until Japan entered the war, the
small and widely scattered islands of
French Oceania were Of scant i'm
portance. Thereupon, they became
vital to the establishment Of Amer
lean sea and air routes to Australia
and the Far East. So the State De-
partment lost no time in dealing with
the local Free French authorities
there. Acting on the basic policy Of
maintaining the Integrity" of the
French colonial empire, the depart
ment announced that it has been
and will continue to be governed by
the manifest effectiveness with which
those authorities endeavor to protect
their territories from domination and
SOllOIo VI ny Vic SOAllliOlI ClCihy' AC
same policy has now been extended
to French Equatorial Africa and the
Cameroons, which clearly are under
Free French control.
In neither case does this imply
diplomatic recognition of the Free
French regime. which would logically
involve a break in diplomatic rela-
tions with Vichy. Our "co-opera-
ton" with the Free French in Africa
Is handled by newly appointed
consul general, who does not have
diplomatic rank, though the ap-
pointee, Maynard Barnes, has held
only diplomatic posts and recently
served at Vichy as Secretary of the
American Embassy. Thus the end is
attained, while the diplomatic record
is kept straight.
Our middle-of- -the-road policy has
aroused considerable criticism in
America, and is relished neither by
Vichy nor by the Free French. To
Vichy, De Gaulle and his followers
are rebels and traitors, and any
dealings with them by foreign gov
ernments are stigmatized as almost
unfriendly acts. But the Free French
consider the men Of Vichy equally
traitors who have sold out France to
the Axis and are it's secret supporters.
Only the other day, General de
Gaulle came out with fiat demand
for full diplomatic recognition by all
the United Nations, including, infer
entially, ourselves. The State De-
partment justifies its policy by the
fact that thus far no French colony
loyal to Vichy has been turned over
to Axis control. And, in both the
New World and North Africa, 1t has
consistently used economic pressure
to keep Vichy in line with the
pledges it has given that Axis control
will not be allowed.
How much longer this policy can
be continued, In face Of mounting
tensions on every hand, remains to
be seen. But the department main
tains that it is guided by purely
pragmatic considerations and will be
governed by the facts in each case.