Evening star., 1943-08-27
The French Committee

The limited recognition which the
governments of the United States,
Britain and Canada have extended
to the French Committee of National
Liberation apparently has the effect
OF placing the committee on a proba-
tionary status for an indefinite
period OF time. Certainly it falls
far short of the degree of recognition
which has been accorded other gov
ernments in exile.
1t is to be supposed that this move
will help to regularize our dealings
with the French Committee. Here
tofore we have been in the para
coXical position of having to deal
with the committee as the de facto
representative of certain French in
terests, while refusing to recognize
it as the representative of any in
terest. The limited recognition now
extended should tend, at least, to
cure this condition.
There is small likelihood, however,
that either the French Committee or
its partisans in this country will be
satisfied with the new arrangement.
This Governments announcement
was captioned: Statement by the
President" 1t noted with sympathy"
the desire of the committee to be
regarded as the body qualified to
insure the administration and de-
fense of French interests. But it was
specified that this statement does
not constitute recognition of the gov
ernment of France or of the French
Empire" The committee was recog-
nized "as functioning within specific
limitations during the war;" subject
to the eventual selection by the
people of France of their own gov
ernment. The principal limitations
in the position of this Government
are that the committees operations
shall continue subject to the veto
of the Allied military commanders,
and that all detailed questions of
relationship which may arise in the
future are to be settled on their
merits in the light of then existing
circumstances. In other words, ex-
cept for a certain formal acknowl-
edgment of its existence, the French
Committee receives little that it has
not already had.
The explanation of this reserve on
the part of our Government lies in
its distrust or dislike of General de
Gaulle and certain of his followers.
In recent weeks the De Gaulle and
Giraud forces have been brought to-
gether within the framework of the
National Committee, and there are
those who believe that the period of
conflict between them is at an end.
But the background of their. rela-
tions, and of the relations of the De
Gaullist faction with the Allied gov
ernments, is not especially reassuring.
This Government has felt that De
Gaulle, in the past, was not willing
to, subordinate his political aspira-
tions to the winning of the war. And
1t has not been sympathetic with the
view that the satisfaction of these
aspirations would be an important
contribution to military success. It's
present position apparently is that
it will grant only an absolute mini
mum of recognition to the French
Committee until the latter demon
Strates that it is worthy of a greater
degree of recognition.
Whether this is wise statesmanship
all things considered, remains to be
seen. Russia has recognized the
committee as the Representative of
the state interests of the French
Republic and as the leader of all
French patriots fighting against the
Hitlerite tyranny" This seems to
amount to recognition of the COM
mittee as the government of France
and may be expected to place an
additional strain upon the relations
between Russia and the United States
and Britain. Thus, while there may
be gains, there are also losses in the
policy which this Government has
adopted. Nor is there any assurance
that the scales are going to be tipped
In our favor in the end.