Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-31
Giraud Arrests
Z in Murphy
Staying Plot
Some of Best Friends
Among Those Seized,
General Reveals
BY holland NORGAARD,

ALGIERS, Dec. 31.-Gen. Henri
Giraud held II persons under
arrest today in an announced
effort to throttle any danger
of further assassinations in
North Africa-a threat in which
Gen. Giraud himself and Robert
Murphy, President Roosevelt's
personal representative, were
mentioned specifically.
Gen. Giraud, acting with military
firmness only three days after the
French Imperial Council named him
to succeed slain Admiral Jean
Darlan as high commissioner for
North Africa, announced the ar
rests last night. He did not tell the
names of the prisoners.
He said, however, that four were
police officers who knew Darlan
was going to be murdered and did
not warn their superiors," Some
were my best friends" and some
were persons who had helped the
Allied landing. Gen Giraud en-
phasized that he preferred to pre-
vent than to punish.
Whether his step was swift, en-
phatic precaution because of the
general menace of violence spot
lighted by Admiral Darlans death
or measure to nip suspected plot
IN which the prisoners might have
been conspirators was not clear.
Feared for Murphy.
Did you really think there would
have been further attempts at as
sassination," Gen. Giraud was
asked at a press conference.
Il am quite certain of that" he
responded. 1T was not question
of myself. I have been wounded toe
many times already. But it af-
fected others, including Mr.. Muir
ply"
(Mr. Murphy, whose spade
work with the French before
the Allied landing in North
Africa is credited with having
lessened the French resistance
considerably, holds the rank of
Minister in North Africa and
serves as civil affairs officer on
Lit. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
staff.
(The tall, 48-year- old diplomat,
a native of Milwaukee, had been
counselor of the Vichy Embassy.
For bis vital part in preparing
the ground for the North African
landings, he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal. a
rare tribute to a civilian.
Chat Mr.. Murphy figured as
potent target for assassination
suggested that Gen. Giraud
looked for trouble among the
violently pro-Axis elements in
the former Vichy holdings. In
London Fighting French source
expressed the suspicion that the
prisoners might have been fol-
lowers of Jacques Doriot, advo-
cate of outright collaboration
with Germany
Aimed At Trouble Makers.
Gen. Giraud insisted that his in
tervention, which he described as
strictly non-political, was aimed
solely at squelching trouble-mak-
ers who might interfere with the
main purpose-"to win the war"
He disclosed that $4,000 French
soldiers were fighting in Tunisia
and have received sorely needed
antl-tank and anti aircraft weap-
ons from their British and Ameri-
| can Allies.
But. he told the correspondents
that Is only the beginning the
real play is about to begin and the
actors must be properly equipped
There you are. I'm counting on
you telling that to America and
| that the high commissioner of
French Africa is above all a soldier
who thinks of one thing only-to
win the war. Help me to win it,
or the prisoners, of whom Gen
Giraud said that only those who
were acting carelessly" were ar
rested, it was reported reliably that
only two had aided the Allied land.
ings.
Asked If the men held would be
shot, the general said:
Don't worry, they won't. I said
would rather prevent than punish
You are giving great deal of i'm
portance to something that isn't
worth it."
Calls For French Unity.
Gen. Giraud took advantage of
the occasion to call for unity of all
Frenchmen. including the Fighting
French led by Gen. Charles de
Gaulle.
To me, there is but one enemy
that is the Germans" Gen. Giraud
said. II do not want anything that
might help the Germans to be left
unpublished.
On the day when all Frenchmen
unite, whether they are those serv-
ing with Gen. de Gaulle. those who
are prisoners of Germany, those in
France or those in North Africa
that day we will be shown victory
Il told Marshal Petain when ]
arrived in Vichy on April % that
France had only one way out Of
the mess she was in. That was tc
| (See GIRAUD, Page A-5D