ARMY PATROLS ALGIERS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 13

ARMY PATROLS ALGIERS

O.A.S. ‘Declaration Of War’ (N Z.P -Reuter— Copyright) ALGIERS, March 21.

French troops today patrolled the curfewed city of Algiers in the face of a threat from the extremist OA.S. to “get out by Friday—or be shot.”

The OA.S. “declaration of war” was contained in leaflets showered on the troops most young conscripts as they patrolled the streets last night after a hail of mortar shells from the O.A.S. stronghold of Bab-el-Oued had wreaked havoc in the Moslem Casbah.

Only insurgent agents in the Casbah prevented Moslems streaming out for revenge. One agent said they ‘•could have lynched 500 Europeans before the troops arrived.'*

Violence throughout Algeria yesterday cost 30 lives —24 of them Moslems, military officials said early today. Wounded totalled 124. At the same time, the Archbishop of Algiers (Monsignor Leon Duval) urged everyone to respect the cease-fire negotiated by French and Algerian leaders at Evian. Heavy Casualties At least 70 Moslems have died and nearly 150 have been wounded by the gunfire of European extremists and French troops since the ceasefire went into effect at noon on Monday. Grim French officials admitted that more blood had been shed in Algeria since the cease-fire than in any other 36-hour period in the last five months of intense terrorism.

In the West Algerian city of Oran. Moslems and Europeans fought a blazing gun battle along the boulevard separating the Moslem “new city” from the European quarter. Eight persons died and 25 were wounded during this and other incidents in Oran during the day, the Associated Press reported.

Alarming reports from many parts of the countryside spoke of Moslem crowds marching on European villages with green and white rebel flags.

The French troops protecting the villages were faced with angry, fanatical Moslems shouting: “El Djezair Al-huryia” (Freedom for Algeria).

sources said 52 were killed in St. Denis Du Sig, in western Algeria, when Moslem crowds clashed with Moslem soldiers. The British United Press reported that a French spokesman told a news conference last night that the bloodshed started when Barkis (Moslem auxiliaries in the French Army) learned that 11 Barkis or members of Harki families had been murdered. Yesterday, the Harkis came upon 40 Moslems burying the victims in a field. They opened fire and massacred 32 of them. Other Moslems were shot In continuing reprisals. Referendum Issue In Paris, the official journal today published the question to be put in the referendum on April 18 on the Algerian agreements. Frenchmen will be asked if they approve the bill submitted by President de Gaulle ‘‘concerning the agreements to be established and the measures to be taken on the basis of the Government declarations of March” decreeing extraordinary measures to prevent the O.A.S. wrecking the agreement, among other things. The Algerian insurgent leader. Mohammed Ben Bella, arrived in Morocco by plane from Switzerland today. Altogether 15 Algerian rebels—including negotiators at the

Evian peace talks and prisoners released by the French —arrived in two planes early this morning.

The plane carrying Ben Bella landed at Nouasseur air base, near Rabat, and the other landed at Casablanca, the Brtish United Press reported. The Moroccan capital was swept by torrential rains at dawn this morning as preparations were made for the long-awaited triumphal arrival of Algerian insurrectional Government leaders, including Ben Bella. Hundreds of khaki-clad troops, armed with automatic weapons, and long cordons of police in black raincoats lined the route to be taken by the Algerians. Unprecedented security measures were taken at the Nouasseur air base. Objection to Recognition

In Paris, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the French Government regarded the de jure recognition of the Algerian provisional government by the Soviet Union as a serious diplomatic incident. There was speculation in diplomatic circles that the Moscow recognition might have been prompted by a desire to get in ahead of China in courting the future leaders of an independent Algeria. Rumania and Czechoslovakia yesterday followed the Soviet Union in recognising the Algerian Provisional Government.

The Associated Press reported that highly placed