CLOSE GUARD ON DE GAULLE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29383, 9 December 1960, Page 17

CLOSE GUARD ON DE GAULLE

Fears Over Visit To Algeria (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) f (Rec. 10 p.m.) ALGIERS, December 8. French authorities are taking strict precautions to safeguard the life of President de Gaulle when he arrives in Algeria tomorrow for a six-day visit. Police yesterday searched the homes of known members of settlers organisations which might stage demonstrations. Several other people are to. be arrested today and put under preventive arrest at a special camp at Douera, south of Algiers. A esterday, high French officials in Paris admitted to newspapermen that they feared an attempt might be made to assassinate the President.

“There are a thousand desperate men in Algeria willing to take the personal risk of trying to kill him,” one Cabinet Minister said.

Some reports claim that settler commandos will try to kidnap President de Gaulle.

Security men have disclosed that certain people have been taking “a disquieting interest” in the details o& the tour—where the President will eat and sleep. Neither his timetable nor the towns he will visit have yet been disclosed. President de Gaulle will arrive tomorrow “somewhere in western Algeria.” He will avoid cities with large -concentrations of Europeans during his tour and will concentrate on taking his message to the Army troops waging the battle against Moslem nationalists.

He is going to Algeria to try to rally support for his programme for the country, especially from the Army. In his view the tour constitutes the first stage of a development which will lead to peace in Algeria after six years of bloodshed. Even if no assassination attempt is made, officials in Paris fear that General de Gaulle’s ultranationalist opponents in Algeria may attempt to stage a coup d’etat in a bid to prevent a nation-wide referendum next month on the President’s Algerian policy. Fears of violence in Algeria were further heightened yesterday when Mr Jean-Louis TixierVignancour, a Right-wing lawyer.

returned from Madrid, where he said he met Pierre Lagaillarde. the leading accused in the “Algiers plot” trial. Mr Tixier-Vignancour told the Court that Pierre Lagaillarde did not leave France of his own accord. He added that “in a few days’ time all this will be explained.” Lagaillarde, with four other accused, disappeared several days ago. One of the accused was arrested yesterday and the French National Assembly has lifted LagaiUarde’s Parliamentary immunity so he can be arrested.

“I am sure that when the Court knows the full truth, and it will know the full truth, it will not be able to hold toward Lagaillarde—who is not a coward, who is not a dishonest man—the least reproach,” Mr Tixier-Vignancour said.

The Court was jammed as the trial resumed with the statement by the president that hearings would continue in spite of the absence of the top defendants. The flight of Lagaillarde has baffled and divided General de Gaulle’s opponents in Algeria. Those who predicted his disappearance would be followed by proclamation of a new clandestine or exiled “French Algeria Provisional Government” are dismayed at his silence. Lagaillarde has many supporters in Algeria but some of them reproach him for quitting the Paris trial which they regarded as a unique public ’ platform for their ideas.