Tunisia Finally Attains Self-Government

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27678, 7 June 1955, Page 11

Tunisia Finally Attains Self-Government

Within . PARIS, June 5. ’ tstne/ 1 mont hs Tunisia will befrfsrjg°verning nation after 64 being ruled from Paris. ft Treaty signed a?’- vin g home rule to the f nf .7f ncan protectorate, will go 35 soon as the French Par--5 j 3SLJ as . ratified it. ht undoubtedly do this, te<n en for French interests in , e!iii» s to Prolong the proI hS , i! CC n din g to Reuters correskrJcL, 111 Paris. !e, &ictori S authority in Tunisia will be •taity fcat? ostly to defence and setl Jor French policy step WitH ♦4. lm P rove long-term rela- ’ k R or th African Moslem tends to increase im•M Moroc^ d iff* cu lties in Algeria ' in both areas are * •®ymg that they want meas-,

ures of self-government, too. Tunisia’s reaction to the return of Mr Habib Bourguiba, the Nationalist leader, from three years’ exile, seems to justify the French policy there in the face of the obstructive tactics adopted during the negotiations by the representatives of the French President. “No Act of Violence” Although 300.000 Tunisians gathered to welcome their leader, there was not a single act of violence, and no incidents between European settlers and Tunisians. This order and calm are ascribed largely to the efforts of Mr Bourguiba s own party, the Neo-Destour, which has its own ‘‘police” service, comprising 30,000 young men. . Reuter’s correspondent in Tunis says it has now been demonstrated that the Neo-Destour has real roots among the people, and is the most representative party of the population.