Evening star., 1942-12-18
Dorian Clears the Air

DurIun Clears the Air
The formal statement made by
Admiral Jean Darlan on Wednesday,
coupled with the special interview
he gave next day to the Associated
Press representative, go far to clear
up the uncertainties Of his position,
with reference to the Allied military
authorities in French North Africa.
In his original statement, the
admiral unequivocally pledged the
full cooperation of North Africa to
the Allied campaign against the
Axis, and, by inference, that OF
French West Africa as well. Darlan
went even further in the Associated
Press interview, fatty declaring that,
besides French warships in North
African ports, fleet units at Dakar,
West Africa, and Alexandria, Egypt,
would join in the fight against the
Axis. On the political side. Darlan
stated that all prisoners sentenced
for opposition to the Vichy regime
had been released and that regula-
tions allegedly formulated under
Axis pressure, such as those against
Jews, had been rescinded. On the
most contentious topic of all, that
OF his own status, the admiral
roundly disclaimed personal am
bitions, stating positively that my
sole purpose is to save French Africa,
help free France, and then retire to
private life with the hope that the
future leaders OF France may be
selected by the French people them
selves and by no one else"
American reactions to Darlan's
pronouncement have been, on the
whole, favorable. Some significance
presumably should be attached to
the fact that, as he read his original
statement to the assembled news
papermen, Robert Murphy, a State
Department official and President
Roosevelt's special representative in
North Africa, stood beside him.
Later, the President himself COM
mented briefly that the people of
French North Africa have accom-
plished much" in support of the
United Nations war effort and have
definitely allied themselves on the
side Of liberalism against all for
which the Axis stands" This was
followed by Secretary of State Hull's
statement, which, in effect, was an
appeal to the De Gaullists to drop
their feud with Admiral Darlan. BY
contrast, London comment was cool
and reserved, while the Fighting
French headquarters there continued
to voice violent opposition to Darlan
and his regime. The factional quar-
rel between De Gaulle and the ad-
miral thus appears to be far from
healed.
This is extremely unfortunate.
The military situation in North
Africa is still critical. Everything
indicates that the Axis plans to make
supreme effort to hang onto Tu-
nisia. and the job of expelling them
from their strongholds there may be
prolonged and dif1lcult Certainly,
this Is no time to risk antagonizing
Admiral Darlan and his followers by
attempting to shelve them in favor
either OF De Gaulle or an Allied oc-
cupational regime that would in
volve civil administration. The in
dications are that, so long as Darlan
co-operates satisfactorily, he will be
treated as the de facto authority in
French North and West Africa. In
evitably, this will strengthen his
position and make more difficult his
elimination before the end of the
war. There can be little doubt that
the great majority of the colonial
population, European and native
alike, regard him as the legal repre-
sentative of French authority. Re-
gardleSs of judicial niceties, that is a
moral factor which cannot be lightly
disregarded There seems to be no
practical alternative to continuing
an arrangement that has thus far
worked so well, at least until the
Axis has been expelled from Africa
and the emergency has abated.