Marshal Petain's Broadcast
The Vichy Government, effectively controlled by Admiral Darlan, announced last week that an attack in four successive stages would be made by wireless on General de Gaulle. It is not clear whether Marshal Petain's broadcast on Monday was intended to be part of this campaign ; but though he did not mention the Free French leader by name his argument was mainly directed against him. He extolled national unity as the highest expression of patriotism, and alluded to "certain Frenchmen oversea " who have endeavoured to disrupt this unity. The real fact is that there is not and cannot be ant true unity in France as long as Admiral Darlan pursues Policy, not merely of submission to Germany, but of active co-operation with her in her war-effort—a policy exemplified in his eagerness to transmit food and other essential materials from unoccupied and occupied territory, and in his willings to tolerate the use of Morocco by Germany and German aeroplanes planning mischief against Libya. Marshal Penn said that "honour forbids us to take any action against our former Allies." But honour did not prevent Admiral Darlan from allowing Algerian shore-batteries to fire on British ships engaged in their legitimate search for contraband, an action calculated to embitter relations between his Government and Britain, and to make us by no means more disposed to allow food-ships to cross the Atlantic. Marshal Petain's appeal for unity is presumably directed not only to the Free Frenchmen who are not at one with him but also to those millions of Frenchmen at home whose hearts go out to General de Gaulle in his bold efforts to keep the French flag flying. France has everything to gain by the stand he is making. Impracticable as it may be for Frenchmen in France to give him much help, patriotism at least will urge all who are not blinded by propaganda to wish him well in his gallant fight.
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