The British Government in the pa reluctantly agreed to occasional ro-laxation of the blockade of unoccupied France and North Africa following representations by the United States Government whose policy was to support Marshal Henri Petain. in the hope this would help him to icsist Herr Hitler.
Now, even those elements in the British Government who at one time favoured the same policy, believe this has failed and they are convinced that Britain must regard Vichy as an enemy.
There was no confirmation here of Washington reports that Mr, Winant took with him a request by Mr. Winston Churchill Prime Minister, that the United States enter the war. Well-informed sources considered it extremely unlikely that My. Churchill would make such a formal request.
Mr, Winant, however, was fully acquainted with the view of many highly-placed Britons here that material aid will not prove suffi and that intervention in the war by the United States is becoming a màtter of urgency.—United Pr "We have, through Ambassador Leahy, consistently conveyed to the French Government our understanding of the difficulties of their position and our determination to be of every assistance that we could in solving their problems bor the ultimate benefit of the French people. We made clear to the French Government that the basic policy of this Government was to aid Great Britain in defence against those same forces of conquest which invaded and subjected France.
"We aided by furnishing foodstuffs to unoccupied France and the children's supplies now being distributed through the American Red Cross, and we planned continuation of these services, "We facilitated passage of ships from this hemisphere to France's colonies. We collaborated with the other American Republics as well as the French Government in safeguarding the welfare and maintaining the integrity of the French possessions in the west hemisphere.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.