GIRAUD'S DECREE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24536, 19 March 1943, Page 3

GIRAUD'S DECREE

VICHY LAWS REPEALED NORTH AFRICAN TRENDS (Reed. 5.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 18 General Giraud by a decree repealed 62 anti-Jewish laws imposed . by the Vichy Government, and restored positions to men who had been removed because they were freemasons. General Giraud made a statement that many of Vichy's economic laws could not be repealed immediately, but the commission would revise them in accordance with the laws of the .Republic. Justice was henceforth to bo administered in the name of tlio Republic,' and the elected members of North African assemblies were to be restored to office. No elections would be held, he added, until Franco was liberated. It is estimated that there are 5275,000 Jews in French North Africa. Lamirand, Secretary-General of the French Youth Movement in North Africa, resigned following the arrest of his principal secretary, Rohrbach. De Gaulle's Reply General do Gaulle has lost no time in replying favourably to General Giraud's speech and the official invitation to meet him, states the British official wireless. A statement by the French National Committee says: "General do Gaulle made a friendly reply. The National Committee considers the union of the French Empire and t be expansion of its war effort, in liaison with the entire French resistance movement, in conditions consonant with the dignity of the nation, are now progressing favourably. In view of the fortunate trend of events in North Africa, it may be expected that General de Gaulle will shortly leave for Algiers." General Giraud's speech and offer to confer and collaborate with General de Gaulle have given wide satisfaction in London, says the special correspondent of the Press Association. It is expected and hoped that the proposed meeting between the two generals will eventuate, though, at the moment, nobody is apparently 'willing to forecast when it will bo. In Line With Fighting French The main difficulty in arranging the meeting between General Giraud and General de Gaulle has so far been that General de Gaulle has hitherto coupled with such plans the demand that certain questions of principle should bo settled first, the correspondent continues. General Giraud has already carried out or announced reforms which go far to meeting the Fighting French demands. The withdrawal from office of Gbneral Bergeret, tho former AssistantHigh Commissioner for North Africa, and the political adviser, M. Jean lligaud, is regarded as a further step toward achieving identity of principles. The Daily Telegraph states: " There is a definite prospect that the long drawn-out preliminaries to an effective union among all Frenchmen who are fighting the Axis outside Europe are coming to a satisfactory close. In fairness to General Giraud it must be pointed out that the duration of these preliminaries was inherent in the situation wliich he found in North Africa." Tho newspaper adds that perhaps the long interval between the meeting at Casablanca and the meeting now in prospect has not been wholly wasted, for the slate, on which the two generals are able to write, is cleaner. ROUT OF JAPANESE CENTRAL CHINA RETREAT OTHER POSITIONS ATTACKED (Reed. 5.45 p.m.) CHUNGKING, March 17 The Japanese retreat in Central China has assumed the proportions of a rout as the Chinese are pushing swiftly north toward the Yangtse River. They recaptured five more towns and launched an assault on Hwajung. The Chinese also announce new successes in a drive to clear the invaders from the Hupeh-Hunan border area. They are also attacking enemy positions on the Canton-Hankow railway. A communique said the enemy forces surrounded by the Chinese in the area north-east of Nangsien had lost a great proportion of their number, and faced imminent annihilation. A communique says the Japanese have been frustrated in their attempt to cross the Sal ween River north of the Burma Road, so they have started a new drive south of tho road. ENCOUNTERS IN BURMA (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March IS A joint communique issued at Now Delhi states that several encounters have occurred between our troops and small Japanese units which have been active along the east side of Mayu River to a point about 12 miles above Rathodaung. The general situation in this area remains unaltered. Tho Royal Air Force on Tuesday actively supported the army. Blenheim bombers escorted by fighters attacked the enemy-occupied village of Mrawchaung, a few miles north of Rathedaung. Bombs last night were dropped on Magwe airfield and Akyab. All our planes returned. SWIFT NAVAL RAID NORWEGIAN FIORD SUCCESS ("Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 17 Tho Admiralty states that light coastal forces manned by Norwegian personnel made a successful attack on onemy shipping in a Norwegian fiord early last Sunday. Thov penetrated tho harbour and torpedocu two vessels. One, a large supply ship, broke in two and sank immediately. The other, a medium-sized ship, burst into flames later and soon sank. No casualties were suffered by tho Norwegian personnel.