e Dilemma of Laval
Nothing has gone right for Laval since he became head of the thy Government as the tool appointed by Germany to promote policy of collaboration. His efforts to satisfy Germany on the one e, and to keep on peaceable terms with America on the other, e brought him nothing but mortification. The loss of Madagascar the immobilisation of -the French ships at Martinique were the ediate sequels of his accession to office, showing how little he trusted by America. The renewed _shooting of French hostages ed how little support he was getting from Germany. And now IS Mussolini who is intervening to stir up trouble for him, 'rig troops along the French Alpine frontier, a demonstration 'usly connected with the renewed claims for Corsica, Nice and unisia, which are reported to have already been presented to 11. Mussolini, of course, would not venture to press those s with threats of force without Hitler's permission, but Hitler have reasons of his own for wishing that Laval should feel the Ss of a war of nerves. He may think it wise to offer some Ord pro quo to Mussolini for Italian troops wanted in Russia ; apart from that, he seeks the use of the port of Bizerta in
Tunisia for his own transports to Africa. Laval is almost as frightened of America as of Germany, and he may suppose that America would be more tolerant of concessions to Italy in Tunisia than to Germany. On the other hand, already sufficiently detested throughout France, he would arouse universal indignation among his countrymen if he surrendered anything to the despised Italians. With so many masters to serve, and so many conflicting aims to reconcile, he may find life more difficult than he expected.
