The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-27
French People Bewildered
 By Rapid Changing Events
ThOusands Too Dazed to Join Fight for Libera- ton - Position of General De Gaulle Strengthened-Paper Money Used
 by Allies Arouses Suspicion.

always were in evidence and they virtually monopolized political &C., tivity. From what have seen. the general will have little difficulty establishing himself as the dowi- nant political force in liberated ter- ritory-with or without Allied ap. provaI. Vichy has been thorough ly discredited with all patriotic Frenchmen and there Is no indicA- ton that any political alternative Is developing except that of the
 General Dc GauIIe
 General De Gaulies position in France has been strengthened by his standing up to American and British statesmen. Mir. Bess reports. It has been smart politics, he writes. for the general to avoid being label- ed as an Anglo-AmeFica puppet. and the De0aullists believe today that they hold the future of France.
 "In the eyes Of the French peo- pIe," MF. Bess asserts, General De daulle bears little or no responsible ity for the confusion and muddling inevitable during those first days when our soldiers were wholly pre- occupied in establishing their land- ings and widening their heachheads when they literally were fighting for their lives. In French eyes, the American and British governments are solely responsible for all the mistakes and accidents which oc- cured then, and General De GauIle Is now in . position to claim credit for most of the improvements in our relationships with French clvil- fans which have occurred since"
 MT. Bess believes tt was unfor. tunate that the Allies did not make preinvasion arrangements with Gens eTai De Gaulle's committee and give lt immediate responsibility for ell civil administration in liberated ter- Tit0Fy, Much Of the resulting cons fusion might have been eliminated had Prenchnlen been in evidence with the invading forces, because. he reveals, in several American headquarters not even the eiyll- affairs officers could speak French well, and regardless of Intentions . language harried was bound to lead to misuDdeFstaHdings, fn one particular headquarters, MT, bess disel0ses. the Allies had t0 depend on Q HTenehSspaaking American sers geaDt to carry out all arrangements with the French civilians,
 Paper Money
 Also the issuance of paper money to the Allies invasion troops caused many French people to think they were being cheated, and tbejF slls, plcl0ns were aggravated by General De GauIle's protest against the use Of this money, MT, Ress states. The DFQmentAFy confusion created by the RFFjVal Of Allied forces played Into the hands Of the Vleby pF0paganv dlsts whe made the most Of it, he
 'sFhe 1924 entrance Into France Of the Allied army 0f liberation thus unhapplly reminded too mRHy HrenehBeD Of the lel0 entrance Into wFenee Of the German army Of Res equation" MT. Bess writes, "Now, q sthep, French towns were srgashr ea R1d EYenen elylIlan6 were Killed, Nov, as then, the invading army took whatever It urgently required fog the DuTp0se Of It's warfare, Wltbs out b0theElng le use EFeDehmeD as neg0tlators, Nov, as then, these military operations were aaa0ms paHled by bitter French political reeTiInlnAtl0ns against domestic factions aDd foreign attaehmApts,p
 "Tibese fresh Fllns which We sec today gre aD ever present FemlndeV Of that heavy pFlee which the French people are paying, veluntaFs ily 0T inv0luntaFIlg, ag tbaIr share lD defeating Germany, TheFe ls gl0 doubt that the overwhelming mas peFliy 0f Rgenehmen do desire te be Tla Of German domination, blt they are stiIl shocked and stunned by the terrific pFleA which this llbaFv alieH ef France ls eesisng-t9 the liberated sven more than to the lls bsFatoVa,"
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