The attempted assassination of M, Pierre Laval serves to draw attention to the acute situation which has recently developed in France. For.some time past, it has been apparent thai, while some French leaders Were all out for collaboration with their German conquerors, the ordinary people would have none of. them. 'The dismay, which Pervaded the French masses after the fall of Paris and the capitulation, has given place fo a. bitter resentment and hatred of the Germans, Passive resistance has been transformed into' something more active. Anti-German demonstrations are becoming the order of the day, and, despite the repressive measures taken by the Germans and the French authorities, are continuing. Sabotage against trame, the organization oilway' accidents. murders of German foiMeers, the mass. arrests of thousands of alleged' Communists, the establishment of special tribunals by the French Government and the German threats to. shoot, hostages, should fresh offences occur. all go to paint particularly. fund picture of conditions in Deeupled and unoccupied France.
"Aready the special court for dealing with cases of Communism, has sentenced two men {o"denth, one unfortunate fellow receiving the death sentence on his appeal again Minichment "of "tuo yours imprisonment Driginally Imposed in the court of first resort, Others have been sent to hard labour for fire, fifteen, ten and seven years. 'The fact of ihe matier appears 10 be that all people who are not reconciled to German domina-Yon are being regarded os Communists la fan endeavour fo justify the wholesale slaugh-{fer of French people whose only. offence is that' of hating the Toathesome German vader, The German commander-in-chief, in France ina notice he has issued placing Gommuntom signifeantly mentions that there nophobia_on the same a Sre "not only prisoners in the hands of the German. military authorities, but, also those Placed atthe Germans' disposal by other fat doures." can it mean that one Frengh nuthores ave extending. thie that means anything at all, it means collaboration to the extent of surrendering: their fellow countrymen to an enemy, the common denominator of whose policy towards Subjugated people is the application of the Seath penalty, It is a striking commentary ripon the mentality of the Germans, and those French who would assist, them in. binding the shackles firmly about the French people: that the Germans threaten even to execute Innocent hostages. should sabotage continue, while the French authorities apparently are prepared to keep up the supply of hostages Thould their numbers, because of the reign fof terror which the Germans are secking to treate, become exhausted. This is not the! first time that the Germans have resorted to Such acties. Innocent villagers were shot @uring the last war on the ground that some~ tone of other had fired a shot at the German forees, and it is clear that in this struggle many' Frenchmen. loyal to the ideals for which they fought are to. suffer martyrdom) 19 which they are to be assisted by the actions fof some of their fellow countrymen, It Is a hideous picture, but, unhappily, a true one.
has quickly been stated that the: man yyo attempted. to murder M. Laval is. Communist. There is every possibility that the is but another of those millions of French nen proudly resentful of the manner in which their country has been betrayed, and is stil being betrayed into the hands of a_hated foe. There is but_a small section of French people who have any use whatever for the Germans, and then in_all probability merely {or the purpose of serving their own salish ends, "The greater part of the masses are fayal to the old ideals, and want nothing of] the. much-vaunted new order, which Hitle boasts he intends creating in Europe. They, Tike their fellows in other countries which have been overrun, are seething with dis content and hatred of their oppressors. The! time is not yet, but it will come. when these people will aviso against their enemies, and Take a terrible revenge. For the moment the Germans with their' French assistants may succeed in maintaining some sort of control, chiefly it is to be believed by means of the firing" squad. That will not ast. for, ever and those men who are now traitors to the real Franco will In their turn, beside the Germans they are so enthusiastically serving, be brought to judgment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.