To the Editor of the '"Nonnt-Cuxa Dany News"
'Smt shall be very much obliged if you could allow me some space to communicate an answer to your contributor' signing A Frexcut Orvicrs.
T have read with interest your ar-tide "Enough Marshal" Petain" Published yesterday in French and English in this newspaper, T take the liberty to give you my opinion on what you have written. We are foo far, and for the time being too Isolated, from France, to be able to pass an' impartial judgment on events Which seem to us niterly incompresensible. In your article, you make tone side to bear the blame for all the mistakes, when, in all fairness, it must be admitted that both sides have committed, la the past few years, numerous and costly mistakes, Tu particular, your write "Have they not' (our British friends) proclaimed that their frontier was on the Rhine." Yes, it is true that Mr. Stanley Baldwin, then Prime Minister, made such a declaration in 1935 or i996 in speech in the House of Commons. But since that date, till September 1939, have the British Government made every effort to put this declaration into action, by relentless work bring their war machine anything Jnear the one of our common enemy. In all frankness, it must be admitted by all, that it has not been done. Well, this is not the time to squabble about past mistakes made by both countries.
Personally, I think, like you, France should not have signed" an infamous armistice, but carry on the struggle, possibly from somewhere ju her " Empire. You accuse Marshal Petain of sowing dissension amongst our countrymen, T am afraid your article may do it amongst those residing in Shanghai, Where more' than any other place, we must stand united with our ally, You should not have written, for publication in the press, such an indictment Marshal Pelain's actions, which are, unfortunately for the aged warrior, the result of all the mistakes and misdeeds committed in the past by our former and far too often changed governments, and he is probably is only the tool of a certain party in France, who are hiding behind his reputation among our countrymen at home, The way I understand, your article, ie that you ore trying} to. confines our local British friends, that we, Frenchmen here who are free to express our opinion without restraint, disapprove of all the acts and decision of our actual government, Don't you think you will have! convinced them better if, instead publishing your article, you as French Omer, had taken "the lead!
making an appeal to all Frenc men here to unite themselves and decide what measures could be devised 10 give effective help to our gallant Ally in her lone struggle. 'An Ally, to which T consider every: free Frenchman is bound to help by' treaty and pacts signed on the free will of our people before an armis._ tice of which any decent minded! French should be ashamed, And also it is not very generous on the part of any of us here, to attack by way of the press someone who has no means to give us an answer or an explanation, If indeed, you made! fan appeal, T am sure you would find many of us feel like you, and the only thing we need isa Ted, Enough of meetings to send cabled resolutions ete., let us have some! action. If you' cannot reveal your ame just yet, you may certainly) find a way to rally all the French men, who like you, want to stay free' Frenchmen. If someone is! able to organize a detachment legion of the Shanghai or China Frenchmen who are determined to carry on the fight against the enemy on the battlefields to come and not newspaper columns, T am sure there will be a satisfactory answer from every one, For those of our! countrymen who are not able bear arms, they can bring their financial help to this legion oF to the British government.
It you like to get in touch with! me, send me your name through this newspaper, who will give you mine against yours, Just A FREexcintax, Shanghai, July 9,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.