Evening star., 1942-02-06
Pehinax Says vichy
Supplies Aided Axis
In Libya Campaign
But Petuin's Ministers
Insist Pact With U. S.
Was Not Violated
Nv PERTINAX,

Dy XIV 1AASfNs
It Is now a fairly well established
fact that the vichy authorities in
Tunis had something to do with
NaI Gen. Erwin Won Rommel's
drive against the British Army In
Libya. Merchant ships and lorries
were placed at the disposal Of the
German-Italian command and these
were filled with various supplies in
cluding' petroleum.
The government at Vichy, except
in communiques issued for home
consumption, does not deny that
1t lent such assistance to the
Axis military machine In North
Africa. At the same time it con-
tends that what it did cannot be
called an infringement on the agree
ment with the United States Gov
ernment under which supplies are
being sent from this country to
Casahlanca.
That agreement explicitly forbids
the French administration in North
Africa from re-exporting the raw
materials or finished products pur-
chased In America or even goods OF
the same kind, this to prevent sub
stitutions which In practice would
amount to re-export.
So far, nothing has become known
to justify the charge that the
pledged word was broken. But the
controversy does not end there. The
United States Government would
not have approved the reprovision-
ing OF the French Empire in Africa
without the assurance that Vichy's
help to the enemy would never ex-
tend beyond the articles in the ar
mistice conventions.
vichy Denies Violations.
Therefore, Vichy must maintain
today that, of late months and
weeks, 1t never exceeded its commit
ments of June, 1910, and, as usual,
such is the substance OF the plea
that comes from Marshal Philippe
Petain's ministers. Here Is the real
ly litigious point:
The delivery of trucks to the Axis
powers can easily be presented as
the necessary outcome OF Frances
armistice obligations which, as re-
cards North Africa, provided Tor
the surrender of material used or
even "deployed" against the Italian
Army.
But those commitments cannot
possibly be stretched In such man
ner as to include fuel and similar
supplies not to speak Of merchant
ships. In addition, whenever judg-
ment must be passed upon the en-
forcement Of the armistice, as un-
derstood by the Vichy government,
a capital document and capital
precedent cannot be omitted.
The capital document Is the letter
addressed to Marshal Petain by
Jules Basdevant, the head OF the
legal department Of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs who resigned MS
most. And the capital precedent
was recorded in Syria last May ana
June.
Gen. Denty's Conduct.
NJ Basdevant complained that ne
had been instructed to interpret
the armistice treaties in such way
as to permit unlimited German
requests. AS to the conduct OF Gen.
Dentz in Syria we are now 1uily
enlightened. 1t could not be ois-
tinguished from actual compllcity
with the German Wehrmacht.
Germans and Italians were en-
titled only to control Syrian air
fields to make sure that in French
hands they would not be turned
against them; also to disarm local
troops and to store the weapons
taken from them. But Gen. Dentz
gave much more. He did not hesl-
tate to forward to Iraq ringleaders
three trainloads of artillery, guns
and other arms.
He had no scruples about de-
luding the Turkish railroad COM
missioner in Aleppo whose duty 1t
was to stop such freight from get
ting to Mosul. This is an old but
q very actual story.
Did the French military chiefs
in Tunis attune themselves to that
behavior? Suspicious cannot easily
be dismissed. A general was IN
command there who, in the past,
had won golden praise for his active
patriotism and for his deeds on
the battlefield, de Lattre de Tas-
signy. He clashed with Gen. JUN,
commander in chief in North Africa,
and was recalled.
Decoration Accepted.
Moreover, let us remember that,
at the other end of the world, Ad-
miral Decoux, governor general Of
Indo- China, accepted, only the other
day, a very high Japanese decora-
ton (refused simultaneously by
other French general offlcers) which
means that the Toxic rulers honor
him as an accomplice and that he
does not dare discourage them. Too
often in Victy servility brings pro-
motion.
BY no flight Of the imagination
can the assistance rendered to Ger
mans and Italians in North Africa
be termed execution of the armistice.
No contractual basis for it can be
found in the texts of June, 1910.
It flows from Gerlnany's successive
"diktats" and out of that form of
Vichy acquiescence which goes by
the name of collaboration.
tReleased by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. mo-