Extract from a letter from Seán Murphy to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

[matter omitted]

I understand that in the occupied zone they are becoming more and more despondent. The food situation which is very bad is aggravated by the influx of German women and children to Paris and other large cities, where they are housed in requisitioned apartments and given priority and double ration cards. This has caused not only bad feelings but civil disturbances. The very severe measures taken against the Jews and the internment of large numbers of Jewish women and children in concentration camps under appalling conditions has caused a wide spread feeling of disgust and despair. They have no faith in the Government and regard the policy of collaboration as merely making it more easy for the Germans to rob them of what little they have without giving them anything in return.

[matter omitted]

The Jews in the free zone, and as you can imagine there are a fair number, have been and still are very worried fearing the laws dealing with Jews should be applied in this zone. Considerable pressure has been brought on Laval to apply the law concerning the Jews (which is of course a French law) to its full extent in the free zone. Laval apparently approached the Marshal favouring this proposal but the old man point blank refused and apparently since there has been a definite coolness between himself and Laval. All the same it is generally thought that the Germans will insist and that the old man will give way.

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In so far as Franco-German relations are concerned there seems to be no doubt that the Germans are determined to get or to take whatever they want and are prepared to give little or nothing to France in return. They seemed determined as was declared in Mein Kampf to bleed France white and neither a policy of collaboration or otherwise is likely to stop them. As I have said I believe Laval is sincere in his policy but I think that that policy involves him in so many concessions that no quid pro quo from Germany could ever compensate for.