Military Leaders Defend Salan

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 8

Military Leaders Defend Salan

(if JUP^-gpister— Copyright J PARIS, May 22. A war hero and advocate of a French Algeria, Colonel Jean Thomazo, told his former Conunander-in-Chief, Raoul Salan, in Court yesterday: “You do not have to fear the judgment of God.”

Thomazo said that whatever myht be the judgment erf men. history would recog. nice Salan as a “magnificent chief.” Thomazo took a leading part in the Alaiera uprising on May 13, 1958, which led General de Gaulle back to power. Another defence witness, General Andre Dulac, said that in the weeks after the 1958 rising, '‘General Salan was alone in a position to decide whether there would or would not be a military move against Paris.” A French Admiral. Andre Ploix, said he would have been in Salants boots had he been born in Algeria. Salan was trying to follow the same path General de Gaulle d:d in June, IMO, when he called on Frenchmen to continue the war.

Admiral Ploix added that he did not approve of Salan. "But if I had been born in Algeria, like Edmond Jouhaud, I would have done the same. Salan chose to be Algerian” [Jiouheud is already under sentence of death.]

The head of the French Secret Service. Colonel Geances Groussard, said: "Salan became the heed of a desperate people. They committed crimes, but the responsibility erf those who bro-jght these people to despair must also be considered.” Pte* Rejected The Court Presdeot (Judge Charles Bornet) rejected a defence piea for the appearance of another former General, Maurice Cbaille. who is serving a 15-year prison term tor his pant in last year’r abortive generals’ putsch in Algiers. He then read a letter sent by the former general. Andre Zeller, who is also serving a 15-year sentence. In it. Zeller said Salan never had any political objectives and that before the putecih there was no question of a plot or an insurrection in his mind, but only exasperation at broken pledges. Zeller said all the crimes attributed to the OAA. were the result of throe years of blunders and errors.