Show F ALEXANDRIA TO BRITAIN Decision Leaves England Free to Yoke T Action Against Italian Forces Sailors Allowed to Join With British Or Return Safely to France Crown to Return Craft at Wars War's En End ALEXANDRIA July 9 AP French AP-French French naval authorities here agreed Tuesday to turn over the entire French fleet at Alexandria to the British The French are arranging transportation transportation transportation trans trans- to France of the crews of all the warships The French decision removed the possibility of another British- British French naval battle here such as occurred at Oran Oral Algeria July 3 and left the British fleet free to move more of its power against the Italians in the Mediterranean An official f l' l statement said the French Admiral Godfroy Godfrey commanding commanding commanding com com- manding the ships at Alexandria had agre agreed d' d to put them in a condition condition condition con con- so they could not go to sea to demilitarize them by removing certain armaments and to reduce the crews to th the men men necessary for care and and maintenance Thus the ships will lie at Alexandria for the duration of the war most of the crews will be returned to France and Britain has promised to return the ships when the war waris waris waris is over The liner Athos II 15 ton vessel in port several weeks is expected to transport troops in event of major ties The ton French liner Providence arrived here last Thursday Thursday Thursday Thurs Thurs- day after rumors had circulated that the French would solve the the dilemma caused by Britain's ultimatum by giving up the ships and sending the crews home No definite time has been set for the departure of the Athos and the Providence but it is considered considered considered con con- certain that these vessels will have a British convoy in n the Mediterranean as far as is necessary necessary necessary sary to insure their arrival at a French port A French steamer was reported to have sailed with approximately members of crews of French warships who had asked repatriation tion and left for France under an agreement turning the fleet over to the British The Athos and the Providence are expected to take the remaining remaining remaining remain remain- ing sailors who are returning home An undetermined number of ot French officers and seamen who elected to continue the fight alongI alongside alongside along along- I side the British are staying aboard their ships awaiting orders v n rIa La e publIshed pub for the first time a new British ad admiralty order permitting the repatriation of ol Frenchmen who prefer going home to continuing the war When terms of the armistice were made known it t became evident evident evi evi- dent that a new situation had de- de Continued on Page Pae P K Two Column Three j i Tri Tricolor o or Comes Down as French Surrender War Fleet S 'S 1 L. L FROWNING GUNS OF FRENCH VESSELS ANCHORED AT ALEXANDRIA On Tuesday Britain announced announced that t the he warships had decided not to fight FRANCE GIVES BRITISH FLEET Continued From Page One and Admiral Godfroy Godfrey was therefore asked to consider various various various vari vari- ous proposals on the li lines es of f those sent ent at Oran Seeing that In a foreign harbor har- har harbor har- har bor or in the presence of a greatly superior British fleet there was no possibility of taking the French ships to sea and that an attempt would only endanger valuable French Trench lives Jives it was agreed by Admiral Godfroy Godfrey 1 1 To put his ships in a condition condition condi- condi tion lon In which they could not go goo goto goto to o sea This was done by reducing the oil oU on board so that there was suf- suf only for harbor purposes 2 2 To demilitarize the ships This was done by landing certain portions of armament and placing placIng Ing ng them under the care of French authorities ashore Will ill Reduce Crews I 3 3 To reduce the crews in order lorder or or- der er to leave sufficient only for forare care are and maintenance This is being done now and crews who whore aeI re leaving are being sent to Syria to o be sent to France later as decided decided de- de by the French admiralty For their part the British government government gov- gov have guaranteed supplies and nd the pay of men running the maintenance of the ships and also their heir return to France at the end of f the war This is how matters stand at present It is hoped these conditions conditions condi- condi ions may continue I In the eastern Mediterranean terrible events of which we all know mow have been avoided and the best est hope is that our good relations relations rela- rela lons here may continue as before Our ur only wish throughout has been to o make sure that Italians and Germans should not possess French shIps lips in order to use them against the he British who still are fighting on n to defeat Germany and Italy and nd to reestablish France |