Forecast of a Second

Front Rear-Admiral D'Argenlieu's Wise Words

REAR-ADMIRAL Georges Thierry D’Argenlieu. High Commissioner for Fighting France in the Pacific, received much flattering press attention on his visit to New Zealand and Austra lia during August and September.

Rear-Admiral D’Argenlieu monk, naval officer, escaped German prisoner, one of the leaders of the daring raid on Dakar in September, 1940, and now leader of the Fighting French movement in this quarter of the globe—might well have stepped out of a page of Dumas, and most definitely has captured the imaginations of the newspapers and the public.

He entered a French naval academy at 16, and served in the French Navy dur ing the last war. In 1920 he became a Carmelite monk, rising to the position of head of that order in the Province of Paris.

He was recalled to the navy when World War II broke out, with the rank of captain. When France collapsed he was taken prisoner, but while being transported to Germany by motor lorry, he escaped in the garb of a Norman peasant and made his way, in a fishing boat, via Guernsey Island, to England.

Here he heard General de Gaulle’s rally ing appeal to all Frenchmen and joined him. immediately becoming one of the leaders of the Free French movement (later changed to “Fighting French’’).

In September, 1940, he was chief of the mission sent to Dakar. Under a white flag, he tried to win it over to the Fight ing French, but he was frustrated bv Boisson’s refusal to see him and by the threat of immediate arrest. He was fired upon: and, although badly wounded him self, he manged to extricate the launches containing his unarmed party, through a hail of machine-gun bullets.

In 1941 he was sent to Canada to introduce the Free French movement to the French-Canadians; and in August of the same year he was given his present post in the Pacific, and promoted to Rear-Admiral.

Rear-Admiral D’Argenlieu made Nou mea, New Caledonia, his headquarters, and had it not been for the outbreak of the Pacific war, he would have visited Australia at the beginning of this year.

Value Of Solomons “Push”

During his recent stay in Australia he visited Canberra. Svdney, Melbourne and Brisbane, consulted with the Common wealth Government on matters of mutual concern, and met the commanding offi cers of the Allied and Australian forces.

His expressed opinions on the war situa tion are interesting. He believes that if the Allies can maintain the offensive in the Solomons and push forward, it will ensure the security of the South-west Pacific.

In regard to the vexed question of the second front in Europe, he feels that nothing useful can be done towards fin ishing the war until the whole of Africa is cleared of Germans and Italians.

Africa was the best base from which to launch a United Nations offensive in all directions. It was also his opinion that the Vichy fleet would never fall into the hands of the Germans.

Those statements were published at the end of August: and, since that date, it has been officiallv announced that Ameri can forces have landed in Liberia, on the West Coast of Africa, and it has been

estimated that these and the Fighting French units in the same area, are numerically greater than the Eighth Army, which is at present on the offen sive in Egypt, and which they may join.

At the same time, an air blitz has been opened against Italy, and it is now thought in many quarters that the Afri can-Mediterranean theatre of war will, as Rear-Admiral D’Argenlieu indicated! be the focal point for the long-hoped-for second front.

Lieutenant “Bill” Mason, well known in the Bainings district, TNG, is now attached to ANGAU.

Rev. P. C. Williams, formerly in charge of the Melanesian Mission School at New Vureas, Aoba, New Hebrides, is now in Queenstown, New Zealand.