FRENCH SOLUTION

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 230, 24 June 1943, Page 5

FRENCH SOLUTION

Committee To Fuse

Forces

Dual control in CENTRAL BODY

(British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received June 23, 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 22.

It is officially announced in Algiers that Generals Giraud and de Gaulle will continue in command of their respective armies on a temporary basis till the forces are fused. Joint army, navy, and air staffs will be created, with the two sides contributing equally to the membership. A member of the Committee said: “We all agree, though of course nothing can be done without Allied agreement.” The Allies are reported to have insisted that General Giraud should remain in control of the North African forces. The Committee took almost three hours to reach its decision. Generals Giraud and de Gaulle shook hands warmly at the conclusion of today’s session, which .accepted a plan submitted by M. Jean Monnet, as “a great step toward the fusion of . the two armies,” says a correspondent in Algiers. The agreement named Generals Giraud and de Gaulle as commanders-in-chief temporarily till a technical committee of six persons is able to reorganize the two French forces and make them into one. The keystone of the new agreement is a small national committee which is to control the armed and civil forces as the supreme governing body, and this step was unanimously agreed upon. This. committee, which will be presided over jointly by Generals Giraud and de Gaulle, is composed of Generals de Larminnt and Join, Admirals Aumoyneau and Volline.aux (the latter is at present at Dakar), General Rouscat (air forces), and one other who is not yet named. Today’s session involved a two-hour discussion about, the proposed consultative body which is to be based on the principle of the Chamber of Deputies. Mie next meeting will take place on Friday. M. Joan Paquis, over Pans radio, said: “Frenchmen know the storm is arising round them and realize that their country will be the centre of an explosion.” ‘he said. “The Allies are asking for civil war in France. We must make counter-preparations. and unite all supporters of collaboration.” REPORTED APPROVAL IN WASHINGTON French Arrangement (Received June 24, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, June 23. The decision in Algiers under which General Giraud remains commander ot the French forces in North and West Africa while General de Gaulle commands the French in the other territories is in accord with the desires of General Eisenhower and the United States Government, says the Washington correspondent of the “New York Times. ’ General de Gaulles demand for the dismissal of 150 of the officers who. served under the Vichy regime is considered likely to impair French military efficiency, and to be unreasonable since they lougnt well in Tunisia, the correspondent says. There is no question of Britain and the United States interfering unduly in French politics, but the Allies have, a vital military interest in North. Africa which justified the Commander-in-Chiet in taking this much interest in the 1* rencll under him.