Bidault Interview Incenses French

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30074, 7 March 1963, Page 15

Bidault Interview Incenses French

(N.Z .PA .-Reuter—Copyright)

; LONDON, March 6. I The furore over the 8.8. G. interview with the former French Prime Minister, Mr Georges Bidault, continued in British and French newspapers today.

The “Daily Mail” reported that Britain’s chief Common Market negotiator, Mr Edward Heath, had made a personal appeal to the producers of the 8.8. C. television programme, “Panorama,” not to use the interview. tn Paris, a Gaullist member of Parliament suggested in the Gaullist newspaper “La Nation,” that the interview might encourage attempts to assassinate President de Gaulle.

The j8.8.C. showed the Allied interview on MondaV night. Mr Bidault is leader of the Counc| of National Resistance, which is identified in France with the aim of assassinating President de Gaulle. The French deputy, Mr Max lietit, asked in “La Nation”, whether the 8.8. C. would broadcast an interview with a Briton heading an organisation aiming to overthrow the present British regime by assassinating the Queen and hfr Prime Minister. Mr Petit wrote; “Does not the commentary of the 8.8. C. journalist indicating that Georges BidaultJ and his friends could take over power only if General de Gaulle disappeared . , . appear to the ‘independent’ 8.8. C. to be of a nature to encourage Georges Bidault’s partisans to actjtowards the elimination of fpe President of the French Republic?” The “Daily Wail” claimed Mr Heath mad! his appeal to the “Panorama” producers because he feared the interview might destroy any last chance of compromise with France. / No Consultation It said ie had made the appeal after learning “Panorama” fed filmed the 63-year-old Mr Bidault towards the end if the Common Market talks last January. “Panorana” officials had agreed fto postpone the programme, it said. Last/night a 8.8. C. spokesman, isked about the "Daily Mail? report, said: “There was po consultation with the Government.” Ttye “Evening Standard” said yesterday that there had bem "mild conflict” between the 8.8. C. and the Government. Mr Macmillan appeared to want to have “as little as possible to do” with the Bidault affair. When the French had sent

the British Foreign Office a “black list” of wanted men, including Mr Bidault, it was possible this had not included a request for his deportation. At most, France probably had hoped Mr Bidault would not be allowed in Britain very long and would be packed off to more distant parts, it said. Arrived In January Mr Bidault had ■ arrived, probably carrying false papers and possibly in midJanuary, by a regular sea or air service. Around January 19 the 8.8. C. had told the Government it had filmed an interview with Mr Bidault. The “Evening Standard” said the Foreign Office had been horrified at the thought of such a broadcast when the Common Market negotiations were in such a delicate state. The 8.8. C. had kept its precious film in the can. The 8.8. C. had again approached the Government on Sunday or yesterday. With market negotiations over, Whitehall had then “acknowledged that it could not stop the 8.8. C.”

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said Britain had not replied to a French note two months ago saying Mr Bidault and other antiGaullists were in Britain. But the spokesman denied the French Government had protested in any way about the 8.8. C. interview.

Reuter’s Paris correspondent said most French commentators were convinced that the British Government had a hand in the affair. It was seen in Paris as an example of delayed temper, arising from the breakdown of the Common Market talks. Govt. Denial The British Government yesterday firmly denied it had allowed Mr Bidault into Britain.

The Home Secretary (Mr Henry Brooke) told Parliament Mr Bidault must have entered Britain illegally. Police inquiries had been proceeding for some time and, were still going on but without result. The “Daily Sketch” re-

ported that “after a day of near-panic in Whitehall” over the Bidault affair the police special branch was last night ordered “to probe the whereabouts of a highlysecret O.A.S. cell operaiting in London.” Most of the 100 antiGaullists operating in England were deserters from the French Foreign Legion, the “Daily Sketch” said. “Now the fear is that an assassination attempt on the life, of de Gaulle may be planned from London,” it said. Photos Of Bidault The “Daily Express,” which caused a sensation by publishing a photograph of Mr Bidault in London on January 17, today printed three more pictures taken the same day.

The Home Secretary said in the House of Commons yesterday that the picture the

"Daily Express” published in January “might easily have been a photograph of somebody else.” Today the “Daily Express” published a fivecolumn picture of Mr Bidault "undisguised, in broad daylight” in London’s Piccadilly, and two other pictures of him.

The Bidault interview was, in the main, defended by British newspapers. “The Times*’ said: “It was surely better that people should see the man and weigh him up. It was a useful and highly revealing encounter.”

“Sueddeutsche Zeitung” of Munich reported today that Mr Bidault was seen last Sunday in Hopfen, about 50 miles south-west of Munich. The newspaper said he was accompanied by his secretary, Mr Guy Ribeaud, whose brother, Paul, recently operated a Munich press office, and was probably still in Germany.