The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-05

inch guns each, and the S,7AT ton submarine Depot Ship Jules Verne, arrived at Diego Suarez recently.
 A British military commentator said of General Guillemet:
 obviously he has Vichy tenden- cies or he wouldn't be there. If he is hostile to us, that Is another question"
 A diplomatic commentator, in the first non-military announcement on the United Nations decision to land forces in Madagascar, said:
 "rhe decision was taken because it would have been the height of folly to suppose that the Vichy government would lift e finger to resist the Japanese threat.
 Full Approval of U. $.
 CThe State Department ct Wash lngton, notifying Vichy Ambassador Gaston Henry Have of the move, said ths island was occupied with the full approval and support Of the United states.)
 Since Pierre Laval's return to power at Vichy the threat to Mada- gascar has been considerably in- tensined, particularly with the pres- ence of the Japanese admirals in Vichy," the commentator said.
 He declined to specify how the island would be administered.
 A communique of the admiralty and war minister announced that British forces had been landed on rNo,,slnp haV, ak AAn vaGpkhApN and of the island, protected by naval aircraft.
 The landing forces were moving across @ 10-mile isthmus on Diego Suarez, one of the most valuable naval bases in the world, ct the northeast tip of the island.
 Tt is to be hoped that French authorities will accept the offer CT the United Nations to help in the defense of the island against Axis aggression" the admiralty-war of- flee communique said.
 Things are still very much in the operational stage and for us to at- tempt to define the future status would be tempting providence" he explained.
 T prefer to touch wood" |
 Well-informed quarters expressed | belief that the United Nations were | deliberately vague regarding the status of the island, leaving them selves latitude to act according to | Vichy's stand, even to the extent | of leaving Vichy some nominal con- trol if 1t submitted to Allied con- trol as 1t had submitted when French Indo- China was taken over by the Japanese.
 One Vague Hope
 Only vague hope was held of Vichy acquiescence, however, In view of its savage resistance when the Allies were forced to strike in Syria against Axis intrigues.
 It was suggested also that the AL lies themselves, with Britain or South Africa acting, would assume active control instead of handing the island over to the Free French.
 Gen. Charles De Gaulle's Free French national committee met here urgently this morning. All spokesman would say was:
 We are in complete agreement with the move"
 It was noted, in view Of the fact that Britain alone made the move against Madagascar, though In be- half of the United Nations, that the United States still maintained its precarious relations with Vichy.
 For the present, however, as the British diplomatic spokesman put 1t, Madagascar was distinctly in the strategic field.
 'The whole problem of Madagas- car has been strategic rather than political for a long time because 1t has been evident there was virtual ly no political barrier in the way of Japanese occupation" the spokes- man said.
 "Our experience, even before La- val was restored, proved the un- readiness of the Vichy government to take any measures to prevent its out lying possessions from being used by the Axis powers as bases or stepping stones for purposes of Axis st rategy."