force the blockade on the 12th, 13th, and 14-th of this month* All the ships and all the admirals on the sea. Heaven send us good luck ! "MACKENSEN gives an account of the conversations between GOERING, PETAIN, and DARLAN. No facts; words, suggestions, and advice. I do not think that my inter¬view will have any better results. "December 9. 1941 "At Turin to await the arrival of Admiral DARLAN. "December 10, 1941 "I have made a verbal transcription of the meeting with DARLAN. He makes a favorable impression: a little man, energetic, wilful and somewhat abrupt, who talks without beating about the bush and calls a spade a spade. He is a soldier who is having a taste of politics, and since he is a Frenchman he manages it with a certain finesse. Sincere? I would not like to commit myself except on one point: he is sincere in his hatred of the British. Certain words and certain expressions cannot be feigned. Further¬more, he declares that for him, personally, there is no choice; if the British were to win the war, his fate would not be pleasant. "Results of yesterday's meeting: None, except for an improvement in relations with the French, which, in any case, is not difficult to achieve. It is enough for us to see each other. Relations deteriorate when we do not see each other. And this has always been the recipe used