FRENCH DISSENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 June 1943, Page 5

FRENCH DISSENSIONS

ANOTHER SERIOUS CRISIS

DE GAULLE DEMANDS “PURGE”

(Recd. 11.5 a.m.) LONDON June 11. The French Committee of National Liberation is in. the throes of the greatest crisis since its foundation, says the Algiers correspondent of the Columba Broadcasting System. Th_ meeting arranged for to-day was suspended, pending a reply by General Giraud to a letter from General de Gaulle in which General de Gaul e demanded an assurance that the proVichy elements- would be completely purged from the upper ranks oi the French Army. • , General de Gaulle added that unless full guarantees were given that, the purge would be carried out, it would be useles to pursue the conversations further. The Algiers correspondent ot the Exchange Telegraph Agency says: Some French Army dfficers whom General de Gaulle wishes puiged compel their men to swear allegiance to Petain. Others toast Petain in the mess, in defiance of General Giraud s orders Another report says that General de Gaulle, the alternate President ot the Committee, is threatening to resign over the Army reorganisation issue. He is also said to be strongly opposing General Giraud’s desire to become Defence Minister, while ie- $ taining the position of French Com-mander-in-Chief. , , . . Reuter says the real basic issue is who is to lead France. Neither side is giving way. FRENCH SECRET ARMY

i RUGBY, June 11. i The French Army in France is dej scribed by the well-informed journal 4 “La France Libre, as a sort of Mble home guard. France is full ol I'guerrillas, equivalent to parachute troops, already on the spot ready .waiting and impatient to light The I guerrillas become friends ol loimei political adversaries, and are Milled ’with unsuspected toleration. In all the j towns and nearly all the Villages, a sort of instinctive secret general mobilisation has brought together men of all ages. Officers, dispersed ■throughout the country, have undertaken secret commands.