THE FRENCH ZONE

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 7

THE FRENCH ZONE

WELL ADMINISTERED AND CALM (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) LONDON, October 18. The special correspondent of the ‘ Manchester Guardian,’ reviewing conditions in the French zone in Germany, says there is.no doubt that the zone is well administered and calm, although this may be due less to French virtues than to German passiveness. . . The French are adopting the same policy as the (Russians —encouraging output by every possible means. All war prisoners who agree to work in the Saar mines are automatically released, and industrial workers get preferential ration treatment. The French are actively encouraging separatist movements hi Swabia and the Rhine province. The majority of administrative posts are held by young French Resistance leaders, who appear to be agreed upon the policy for the long-term re-education or Germans. On the 4 other hand, many French Army administrators appear to have strong Right-wing tendencies and are building up a very large French community m the Saar by bringing in their families and friends to settle with them. As an instance, Baden Baden, with;a German population of; 31,000, now accommodates nearly that number of French residents and visitors. Many French officers do not appear to be concerned with the policy of.the French civilian government, but are openly sympathetic towards Germans with Right-wing tendencies. The correspondent cites a number of specific instances of Nazis Being left in admin-, istrative positions by the French military. Various French factions appear to be agreed upon only one thing—they do not want any fusion of their zones with the British and Americans.