Evening star., 1942-11-27


MEXICO CITY.-MEXICAN BV
fighter, Is shown on the horns
season. "El Soldado," whose n
Unoccupied France, Toulon specifi-
cally was excepted.
Berlin broadcasts later ascribed
this to gesture of generosity from
Hitler himself.
Now he promised Petain that II
am irrevocably determined to help
France to reconquer her colonies by
all means in my power and that
he had no designs on Frances fleet
You know, Herr Marshal" he
wrote Marshal Petain, all state
ments made from the English and
American sides to the effect
that Germany wants to take over
the French feet are pure inven-
tions"
Order Possibly by Abrial.
Only Wednesday, the Vichy radio
announced decree under which
the maritime prefect of Toulon took
over powers of the civil authorities.
The same day, Admiral Jean Abrial,
new Vichy navy secretary. visited
the base and talked with high-rank-
ing French naval officers.
Fighting French sources said it
undoubtedly was Abrial, Darlan's
successor, who gave the order to
scuttle the ships. He and Darlan
had co-operated closely. Darlan
served Petain until November H.
but was always regarded as more
anti-British than pro-German, and
now is collaborating with the Allies
in North Africa.
Hitlers assignment of all au-
| thority to Won Rundstedt left the
Vichy regime more than ever an
instrument of Berlin. Some British
sources said they believed it meant
that Hitler's general would assume
the authority of Petain's Govern
ment but they predicted that Laval,
perhaps, will be left with SEM
blance of authority because he Is
too useful to lose and Hitler must
leave him a shadow of power"
Elimination of the fleet not only
would remove the possibility of its
use by the Axis. but the scuttled
hulks would make Toulon Harbor
virtually useless.
Restoration Would Be Difficult.
II, on the other hand, some
French ships still are afloat, any
effort by the Germans to restore
them to service would prove a labor
ious job.
The Fuehrer's letter to Petain went
to lengths to explain the seizure
of Toulon, the finest natural harbor
on the French Mediterranean coast,
While it absolved the white haired
marshal himself of any anti-Nazi
plotting it indicated that Hitler
had little confidence in other Vichy
officials and regarded all Of France
as shot through with Fighting
French ferment.
As Is his custom, Hitler wrote
in rambling fashion repeating his
familiar assertions that the war
was forced on him by international
plots against the Germans and his
familiar denunciations of the Jews.
He charged that the occupation of
North Africa was at the express
wish" of ''warmongers" still present
in France and that with the Allied
invasion the entire armistice" be-
tween Germany and France was
abrogated.
Text Of Communique.
The text of the German COM
munique announcing the Toulon oc-
cupation. as picked up from Ger
man radio broadcasts, follows:
After attacks by British and
American forces on the French CO.
lonial empire, German and Italian
troops have marched into the re-
mainder of Unoccupied France in
order, together with French armed
forces, to protect this region against
further violation by the British and
American aggressors.
After the undertaking, on their
word of honor. by French troops and
commanders of the fleet, to work
with their units within the frame
work of the common defense, the
French Army. by the Fuehrer's wish
was not only left untouched, but was
partly strengthened and equipped.
and particularly the sector of Tou-
Ion. with the French Mediterranean
feet, was left to French defense.
I'm the meantime. breaches OF
their word of honor and attempts at
escape by high French officers have
become frequent.
1T has likewise been ascertained
that systematic instigation OF the
French Army, which was ready to
collaborate, by Anglo-Saxon in
f1uences continued to spread still
further and in the last few days
reached the feet at Toulon.
1T was in realization of the fact
that this political cleft in the French
army. endangering the safety Of the
German troops Of occupation and
undermining the authorities of the
French government, that the Fueh-
rer and the Duce last night gave the
order to occupy the port of Toulon
to prevent the French Mediterran-
can feet from putting to sea as
planned and to demobilize unsure
contingents of the French army.
German and Italian troops fol-
lowed this order instantaneously
and nipped in the bud the resistance
of elements instigated by Anglo
Saxon influence which flared up at
isolated points and In a few hours
carried out their allotted tasks.
'The town and port of Toulon
have been in the hands Of our troops
since early morning.
Part OF the French fleet has
scuttled itself In spite Of the counter
order OF the French government.
THE rehabilitation Of the dis
| solved French units will shortly be
carried out"