DARLAN AS ALLY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 11, 14 January 1943, Page 5

DARLAN AS ALLY

CREATED DISTRUST British Peer's Comment On North African Situation N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 13. "We are told that the decision to treat with Darlan was an action of great military advantage," said Lord Lytton in a speech to the League of Nations Union. "It is a mighty dangerous doctrine, if we accept as a fact that anything wrong is justifiable if there is a military advantage. That has been Hitler's argument for every step he has taken which we have condemned. "Dealings with Darlan created distrust and difficulties with the Allies and neutral countries far out-balanc-ing any military advantage. We could not forget that Darlan imparted to the enemy military secrets, given to him as our Ally. This resulted in many naval disasters until we changed our naval strategy. "To allow such a man to pose as an honourable man and a worthy Ally is to put a stain on our cause. General de Gaulle is for us a symbol of clean, honourable and courageous France —the France we honour and want as an Ally. We regard him as the pivot around which all the best in France can unite." Heavy Censorship Imposed North Africa's Government has controlled and heavily censored the Press not to mention the impending meeting of General de Gaulle nor the new arrests in the Darlan murder investigation, says an Algiers message. Although they are not officially announced, the" names of those arrested are known throughout Algiers and are causing widespread comment. They include persons known to have Monarchist leanings, as well as those who risked their lives to help the American landing. The French authorities in North Africa have arrested a group of men responsible for the assassination -of Admiral Darlan, reports the Algiers correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting ,System in an earlier •message. The official French spokesman said that the arrests were carried out yesterday after investigation had shown that Darlan's murder was aided and encouraged by circles outside those already in custody. The spokesman added that the investigation was being conducted by a military tribunal consisting of five French officers, and was proceeding regardless of the prominence of the persons involved or their political beliefs. If the charges were confirmed, the persons who had been arrested would be formally arraigned and tried with full legal -representation, in accordance with French law. The spokesman explained that the new arrests had resulted from the interrogation of persons who were arrested earlier. Some of these people had been already released. Early Meeting Foreshadowed ( An early meeting between Generals Giraud and de Gaulle is foreshadowed by the French spokesman, at Algiers. Many telegrams have been exchanged with a view to arranging the meeting. He told Press correspondents that General de Gaulle had wished to meet General Giraud in North Africa early in January, but this was impossible because General Giraud was visiting French West Africa. He thought, however, that the meeting would take place as soon as it could be arranged. The Earl of Lytton has' held manyimportant posts in Britain and overseas. He was Governor of Bengal from 1922 to 1927, and for a term was Acting-Viceroy and Governor-General of India. He was chairman of the League of Nations Mission to Manchuria in 1932.