Evening star., 1943-12-06
'ExiIed Governments
In London Angered
By Smuts' Speech
BY HELEN KIRKPATRICK,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
CHICAGO Daily News.

Chicago Daily News.
LONDON, Dec. 6.-The govern
ments -in-exile, notably the Polish
Czech and French, have reacted
most strongly and unfavorably to
the speech of Premier Jan Chris
tiaan Smuts, made here November
Is before the British branch of the
Empire Parliamentary Association,
but withheld from the public for
a week.
The South African prime minis
ter's fiat statement that France is
finished as great power. while
conforming to the view of many
Britons and Americans. does not
meet the opinions of many Euro
peans and naturally not with those
of the French. In any case, 1t is
regarded as an unwise statement to
have been made in view of the ex-
cellent propaganda use to which
the Germans and Vichy French can
and, indeed already have, put it.
The background of the speech Is
worthy of note and explains the
bluntness OF some Of its passages.
1t was an off-the-record speech.
Those who heard it talked about 1t
and the demand from other men,
bers of Parliament for its text final
lily led the association to print
copies. The newspapers first pub
lished the text on Thursday.
Reaction Violent.
The reaction of many Europeans
yesterday was extremely violent but
it will be several days before it Is
possible to get considered opinions
on what will, undoubtedly, prove to
be one of the more important pro-
nouncementS of the war. Certain
European quarters feel that the de-
scription of Russia as a COLOSSUS
astride Europe" was unWise in the
extreme, though the fact does not
seem to be contested.
AS it daily becomes clearer that
the world is moving toward the
old balance of power politics, those
who are anxious to see that balance
most carefully established believe
that frank and public admission of
Russias power and influence may
increase Russian demands at the
peace table.
But far outweighing such matters
of opinion is the reaction to Premier
Smuts' references to France. BY no
means everyone is in agreement with
his preview of Frances future. And
many Britons believe that the re-
organized Europe cannot effectively
safeguard its security-and here they
are thinking primarily in terms of
British security-without the tradi-
tional close alliance between Britain
and France.
Also. those who have seen the real
resistance leaders of France-the few
who went to AlgierS for brief
meeting-incline more to the view
that France will surprise every one
by the rapidity of its comeback and
the solidarity it already has achieved
after three years of German occupa-
ton.
/ Reds May Aid France.
Informed Russians in private con-
versaticns leave the definite impress
sion that the Kremlin expects
France to stage startling come
back and may be instrumental in
assisting it to do so.
! Premier SHUTS remarks on France
should also be read with an under
standing of his own anti-French
views dating since his encounters
with Clemenceau at the Versailles
Peace Conference An unimportant
but interesting fact is that Premier
Smuts has been presiding at the
British war cabinet meetings here in
the absence of Prime Minister
Churchill
When Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden returns from the Middle
Eastern conferences, it is probable
that the House of Commons will