Evening star., 1943-07-03
Robert Climbs Down

perry little French sailor with the
Vandyke beard, apparently is de-
scending from the political high
horse he has been riding for the past
three years. During that prolonged
period he has been a chronic head
ache to our State Department, espe-
cially since our diplomatic break with
the Vichy regime, to which Robert
persisted in adhering. His annoying
intransigeance was tolerated because
of his relative unimportance, his in
ability to do much positive harm, and
the unfortunate repercussions which
would have been caused by forceful
measures taken against him. A
subtler technique, however, was
available, and this has clearly
brought him to the end OF his rope.
The method used by Washington
was economic pressure. The two
Caribbean islands, Martinique and
Guadeloupe, which the admiral
ruled as French high commissioner,
specialize on raising tropical export
products, chiefly sugar, rum and
coffee. They are thus vitality de-
pendent on imported foodstuffs to
support their dense populations, to
say nothing OF other necessary i'm
ports like machinery, textiles, oil
and medicines. Previous to our dip
lomatic breakdown last spring, Wash
ington had rationed the French is
lands strictly, thus keeping them on
a hand-to-mouth basis. When, on
April 80, the State Department sent
its brusque note refusing to nego-
tiate further with ANY French rep
resentative in the Antilles who re-
mains subservient to or maintains
contact with the Vichy regime" the
islands were subjected to complete
economic blockade. With no re-
serves to fall back on, their popula-
tions suffered from growing destitu-
ton and semi starvation. This nat
urally aroused sharp discomfort
against the admiral, who has been
compelled to use drastic measures to
repress the rising tide of rebellious
unrest. SO Robert has now ap-
preached Washington with an offer
to negotiate "a change in French
authority" in the islands.
Just what the admiral has in mind
is not yet clear. 1t may be that he
hopes to be able to retain his post
of high commissioner by transfer
ring his allegiance from Marshal
Petain, titular head Of the German
dominated Vichy regime, to the new
French Committee Of National Lib
Grafton at Algiers. But 1t is unlikely
that either Washington or Alglers
would accede to such a proposal. TO
both, Robert is equally distasteful,
so they have joint interest in elimi-
mating this discredited minion OF
Vichy from the political scene.
Assuming that Robert is about to
capitulate, the choice of his sue
cessor involves some important dip
lomatic questions. The admiral has
made his offer to the United States,
and not to the French Committee OF
Liberation, which neither Washing
ton nor London has yet formally rec
ognized, despite their de facto deal
ings with it. Yet Robert has con-
sistently insisted upon guarantees OF
French sovereignty over the islands
and a promise that there will be no
American occupation. In this, ne
undoubtedly comedies with the Com
mittee of Liberation, which desires
to be regarded by America and Brit
ain as the legal trustees of French
interests everywhere, and which sees
in a take-over Of the Antilles an
approach to formal recognition by
Washington and London. Both the
De Gaullist and Giraudist repre-
sentatives in this country agree
that the successor to Admiral Robert
should be appointed by the Commit
tee of Liberation in Algiers, which
includes both factions. 1t thus ap-
pears that there should be no great
difficulty in effecting the change OF
regime in the Antilles which now
impendS