Vichy, May 24, \HE important, although brief, speech yesterday.of "Admiral Francois Darlan, Vice-Premier, in which he reassured listeners there is absolutely no question of France going back on its given word not to take up the sword against its allies of yesterday, had a calming effect on the French in general.
The speech was accepted as it was given, namely, as clarifation of -the Aimosphere In which present Franco-German negotiations were proceed. ing. It cleared away a host of rumours which have circulated in the past few days that negotiations had broken off due to intransigence and impossible German demands.
"The hush-hush methods under which the negotiations. were carried fon did not make for calming the public mind, which. og Marsha} Phil-lippe Petain recently affirmed, was rmxloug because it often, was il informed."
'Admiral. Darlan's. assurances - that Chancellor' Adolf Hitler had not demanded delivery of the French Fleet, declaration of war against Britain "Jor cession' of colonial evidently was made with the double intention of calming not only domes-fle but also international opinion: The last intention was clear, partly cularly in the light of the stiffening American attitude toward. Prance.
'The French press in both' the occupied and unoccupied zones has been hlerly attacking the American stand.
When the announcement of Admiral Darlan's speech was made it was generally "expected that. the Vice-Premier" would stress three burning questions: return of 100,000 war prisoners to which Chancellor Hitler - agreed during" the recent Darlan-Hitler conversation, the paign against De Gaullists in Africa, and Syria, where French airfields frequently have been bombed by the British, 'As far as the first question is concerned, Admiral Darlan, evidently fudged' that the war veteran and "Prisoners? Ambassador" M, Georges Seapini, who, it was announced, will Issue a press declaration concerning the manner in which "100,000. men will be released, would take care of that question Scapint yesterday was in Bor Un discussing the question with German authorities. technical aspects of the negotiations continued in Paris!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.