FRENCH POLICY ON ALGERIA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27907, 2 March 1956, Page 11

FRENCH POLICY ON ALGERIA

Protest Move By 80 Deputies

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) PARIS, February 29. About 80 Poujadist and Conservative Deputies walked out of the French Assembly today in protest against a Communist demand that the Government should negotiate peace with the rebel leaders in Algeria.

Shouts of “fascists” and “traitors” were exchanged and some members banged their desks in an attempt to drown the voice of a Communist speaker.

A Government spokesman later announced that a full-dress debate on Algeria would take place next Wednesday or Thursday.

The Government in that debate would ask for special powers to enforce “certain measures.”

France’s Socialist Prime Minister, Mr Guy Mollet, is seeking the special powers to enable his government to act in Algeria by decree, without first consulting Parliament. In a broadcast yesterday. Mr Mollet warned the Algerian rebels that all France’s resources would be used against them if they did not cease hostilities.

If they did. free elections would be held throughout Algeria within three months, he promised. Meanwhile, the French Government was tonight faced with a demand for full sovereignty for the neighbouring territory of Tunisia. The demand was made by Tahar Ben Ammar, the Tunisian Prime Minister, at the start of political talks in Paris between French and Tunisian representatives. Ben Ammar called for the abrogation of the Hassar-Said pact of 1881 which placed Tunisia under French rule. Abrogation, he said, would not affect the ties of interdependence and friendship linking his country to France. Mr Pineau, the French Foreign Minister, said that the Tunisian demand was new and called for mature reflection.