TUNISIAN CRISIS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 13

TUNISIAN CRISIS

Proposal For Settlement

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) PARIS, March 10. The French Cabinet will meet today to discuss ways of re-establishing direct negotiations with Tunisia in the light of moves by the British and American “good offices” envoys. Although official circles have maintained strict silence on the “good offices” mission, FYench newspapers have published speculative reports that the envoys have put a compromise plan for a Tunisian settlement to the French Prime Minister, Mr Felix Gaillard. This is said to involve the following: Regrouping French forces at Bizerta, the French naval base on the Tunisian coast; Token evacuation of some troops pending a settlement; Controls at Tunisian airfields to ensure they are not used to help Algerian insurgents; Mixed control of the AlgerianTunisian frontier with neutral observers. The envoys, Mr Robert Murphy (United States) and Mr Harold Beeley (Britain) may fly to Tunis today for conciliation talks with the Tunisian President, Mr Habib Bourguiba. Meanwhile, the newspaper, “Aurore,” reported today that the United States Secretary of State. Mr Dulles, had suggested a Mediterranean military alliance in a secret message to the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Selwyn Lloyd, at the end of last month. The newspaper’s diplomatic commentator said Mr Dulles wanted an alliance founded on a Western Mediterranean “Commonwealth” including France, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya and “completed by London and Washington.” The “Manchester Guardian” today said it viewed the French suggestion for a Western Mediterranean Defence Pact with strong suspicion. The details so far revealed of the French proposals for such a pact made it seem imperative that Britain should have nothing to do with it, this newspaper said. “Neither the British nor the American peoples would be prepared to endorse the policy of repression which successive governments have practised in Algeria with increasing ferocity and diminishing success,” the “Manchester Guardian” said. CRITICISM IN CHINA Party Attack On “Spendthrifts” (Rec. 9 p.m.) HONG KONG, March 10. The Chinese authorities have stepped up their attack on spendthrifts, holders of sinecures, “Little Caesars,” and their proteges in Central Government offices, the New China News Agency reported today. The agency’s Chinese-language service gave the example of an engineer in the Ministry of Coal Industry, who had been found to have been drawing about £74 a month for doing nothing. It said that wall papers—criticisms pinned up on public noticeboards which have become an important feature of the rectification campaign—also attacked the Ministry for lowering production targets. These said that the Ministry had cut the State Economic Commission’s original plan last year from 90 million tons of coal to 83 million tons. But more than 941 million tons were actually produced. The agency reported that a big meeting of Communist Party organisers on March 6 had agreed that exposure was the way to clean up waste and inefficiency among officials. Wall papers in the Second Ministry of Machine Bulding had criticised one factory director for spending nearly £ 150,000 on a luxury club. The meeting had also condemned “Little Caesars” who abused their subordinates and kept proteges in jobs. These people, the delegates said, were a great burden on the State, demanding costly equipment for their work and luxury. The last stage of the rectification campaign* for the elimination of waste in Government departments is due to end in May. REPORTERS IN WASHINGTON Shadowing ByDetectives (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 10. The United States Government had detectives to “shadow” reporters to detect their sources for “delicate” news stories in Washington, the “New York Times” reported today. It said it was also standard practice, when the Administration was particularly annoyed at seeing one of its secrets in print, to force underlings to sign affidavits swearing that they did not let the story out. In some cases, the newspaper said, telephones were tapped within and without the Government and “bureaucratic hawkshaws” were assigned to report on reporters’ movements. The “New York Times” said that one correspondent who had also worked in Moscow, reported that he was “getting the full treatment.” Moscow had taught him to spot a policeman in all his shapes, the newspaper said, but he contended that it was never as bad as covering Washington.