FRENCH NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 28 June 1943, Page 5

FRENCH NATIONAL COMMITTEE

DALADIER GOVERNMENT DECREE ANNULLED London, June 25. The French Committee of National Liberation took a step of farreaching political significance to-day when it drew up a decree revoking and annulling a decree passed by the Daladier Government on the 26th September, 1939, which outlawed Communism in France and dissolved the Communist Party and all Communist organisations.

Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says the new decree has not yet been formally passed. There are at present 26 Communist Deputies at Algiers who were sent to North Africa from France under detention. Their full civil rights have now been restored but their position as Deputies is not yet clear. The committee also annulled all trials and penalties imposed for acts committed in the service of France since July, 1940. The committee also restored to office all officials who were dismissed, pensioned or degraded for national activities or because of measures imposed by the enemy. AIJ penalties imposed by Vichy on public officials is thus cancelled and they will now be restored to their positions. The committee also formed a special office for Alsace-Lor-raine with a Consultative Council of Alsace-Lorraine. Natives are attached to it. There is now a large number of refugees from these provinces in North Africa. A correspondent states that complete harmony prevailed at the meeting. Morocco radio announced that Genera] de Gaulle presided at a full plenary session of the committee to-day after the arrival in Algiers of M. Bonnet, Commissioner of Information. —P.A. GIRAUD MAY VISIT U.S. Rugby, June 25. It is understood that General Giraud will leave for Washington very shortly at the* invitation of President Roosevelt, states an Algiers message. The full French Committee of National Liberation met this morning under General de Gaulle. M. Bonnet, who arrived from Washington, informed colleagues of conversations he had with Mr Cordell Hull.—B.O.W.