NO BASIC POINT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22470, 4 January 1943, Page 5

NO BASIC POINT

French Authority In Africa (Rec. 8.0) LONDON, Jan. 2. “Internal confusion is steadily increasing in French North Africa and West Africa because French authority has no basic point,” said General de Gaulle in a statement. The results of the confusion are: “(1) A situation embarrassing for the operations of the Allied Armies. “(2) The fact that at the decisive moment France was deprived of the French Empire’s unity for pursuit of the war in liaison with the resistance movement in France itself. The remedy is the establishment in French North Africa, West Africa and other French overseas territories of a temporary and enlarged central power founded on national unity. I suggested to General Giraud on December 25. in agreement with the national committee, that we hold a meeting immediately on French soil to study methods of attaining our objective.” The French High Commissariat at Algiers announced that General Girand decided in the interests of unity to liberate a number of political prisoners in order to mark the new year and his taking up the command as High Commissioner. A spokesman said that an unspecified number of political prisoners would still be detained. “We arc prepared to release al Iwho undertake not to indulge in political agitation until the end of the war. We are not asking them to abandon their political opinions, but people must restrain themselves while the war is going on.” Asked if some de Gaullists would still be detained, the spokesman said: “Maybe so, but if so it is a mistake. Lists are being compiled so w’e can go into th question of releasing them. Political prisoners arrested befo.c the Allied landings will be released as soon as the cases art* investigated. It is the policy of the Giraud Government to broaden the basis of its representation of various French elements as soon as possible.” Questioned about the prospects of agreement with General de Gaulle, the spokwman said: “It is the definite desire of the people at the head of affairs in North Africa to come to an agreement between all Frenchmen fighting against Germany.”