FRANCE: Splitting Empire

With the defeat of France the world’s second largest empire returned to the international crucible. With the British Navy controlling the sea, the French could no longer defend it, the German conquerors could not reach it. Slapping down a blockade that severed the Empire from France, politically and economically, Great Britain sat down to wait for pressure to produce results. Last week they came in a rush as colony after colony forsook the Vichy Government for the defiant banner of General Charles de Gaulle, self-appointed leader of “free Frenchmen.”

Chad. First to plunge was the French Equatorial African colony of Chad (see map), a ragged trapezoid of sand dunes, wasteland and jungle strategically situated between Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and Italian Libya (area: 461,202 sq.mi.; population: 549 whites, 1,432,000 natives). Lake Chad, on its western frontier, is an important junction of caravan routes, and a well-equipped air field at its capital, Fort-Lamy, makes it a desirable prize. Leader of the Chad revolt was black Civil Governor Adolphe Felix Sylvestre Eboue, French-educated rugby player whose administrative ability so impressed his superiors that he landed the only French governorship held by a Negro. Having lined up a small garrison of colonial troops, Rebel Eboue proclaimed allegiance to General de Gaulle: “… The people of Chad will defend their territory for France against all comers.”

General de Gaulle took to the radio in London. “France, crushed, humiliated and betrayed, is beginning to climb once more up the slope of the abyss,” he cried to the Empire. From Winston Churchill came a quick letter of assurance that French colonies who supported England’s cause would receive the same trade and political concessions as British possessions. The Vichy Government denounced Britain for fostering the revolt, discharged Eboue from his governorship, declared wishfully that “all necessary dispositions have been taken to localize the situation.”

Flood. Two days later the flood broke. First came word that the remaining provinces of humid, swampy Equatorial Africa (498,054 sq.mi.; 4,400 whites; 1,986,060 Arabs, Okande, Fiot, Fang, Bateke, Banda, Zandeh, Hausa, Fula and Pigmy tribesmen) had renounced Vichy. This revolt was engineered by General Rene Marie Edgard de Larminat, former Chief of Staff in the Syrian Army, who had escaped to Africa after being imprisoned for attempting to lead the staff to Britain following the French surrender. General de Larminat moved into French territory from his refuge in the Belgian Congo after his agents had arrested the Military Governor at Brazzaville. Appointed by General de Gaulle Commander of the French Equatorial African Land, Sea and Air Forces, he can threaten Italian Libya across her undefended southern frontier, perhaps block Axis plans for a backdoor entrance into central Africa.*

Then to the De Gaulle side came the endless desert expanse of French West Africa (area: 1,815,768 sq.mi.; population: 14,944,830), great recruiting ground for France’s black Senegalese legions. Chief Amandoo Diap of the Senegalese announced in a cable to De Gaulle the adhesion of all black fighters “who do not want to be slaves but wish to remain French.” High Commissioner Pierre Bois-son counter-claimed that the “greater part” of French West African territory was still loyal, but rushed a representative to Vichy by air to ask for aid. In French West Africa the stakes were one of the Empire’s most formidable remaining fighting forces and the important sea and air base of Dakar, take-off point for planes bound for South America and the New World.

Already with De Gaulle since Vichy ousted him from his post as Governor General was tough little General George Ca-troux of France’s second most important colony, French Indo-China (area: 286,000 sq. mi.; population: 23,853,500). By some unexplained chicanery General Catroux made a grab for the driver’s seat last week, defying not only Vichy but also Japan, who regards herself as legitimate heir to the world’s fifth greatest rice granary and an important source of rubber, tungsten, tin and zinc.

From deep in the South Pacific came word last month of insurrection in New Caledonia, world’s second-largest producer of nickel, home of 53,245 chocolate-skinned, curly-haired Melanesians. Travelers from tiny Guadaloupe in the West Indies reported incipient rebellion there, with 80% of the population favoring a fight-on policy. From Madagascar also came rumblings of revolt.

Still unheard from at week’s end were France’s most important colonies, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and her outstanding strategic possession, Syria, where a large, well-equipped Army still stands at the great Near East crossroads. Of the sprawling French Empire of 4,617,579 square miles and 64,946,975 inhabitants, 1,589,067 square miles and 33,220,218 people were stirring to carry on the fight. In Vichy, new Minister of Colonies Henri Lemery belittled the uprisings as “manifestations on the part of certain Europeans,” which did not “reflect in any way the mentality of the enormous majority of our citizens residing in black Africa.”

In London, General de Gaulle was stirred to new heights of Gallic oratory. “The French Empire is rising to make war,” he proclaimed to Frenchmen throughout the world. “I call the French Army, Navy and Air Force to arms. . . . We shall not perish. We shall survive and we shall win this war. . . . France, a new France, a great France, forward!”

— *In Africa’s cellar door, veteran pro-German General James Barry Munnik Hertzog, onetime Prime Minister, introduced before the Union’s House of Assembly a motion calling for peace with Germany and Italy. The House voted him down, 83-10-65.