Evening star., 1944-06-25
De GuuIIe
Continued From Page C-1)

mote a rapprochement between
Gems. de Gaulle and Giraud SO as
to unity all French factions
opposing the Axis. To this end the
United States agreed to cooperate
in the training and equipping of a
French force of 5000 men.
After exchanging several notes,
the two French generals met at
Casablanca on January 8, 1943, and
drafted an agreement on the end
to be achieved, which Is the liberia
ton OF France, and the triumph of
human liberties by the total defeat
of the enemy" -
But 1t became apparent that
neither general was willing to yield
power to the other. So it was not
until June 4, after months of bit
ter negotiations in which the United
States and Great Britain attempted
to act as peacemakers, that an
agreement was reached for the for
nation of the French Committee of
National Liberation with headquar-
ters in Algiers and with Gen. de
Gaulle and Giraud as co-chairmen.
In the following month, Gen.
Giraud visited Washington for mil
ltary conversations with President
Roosevelt, and it seemed temporarily
that French unity and Allied CO.
operation had Been achieved at
last.
Giraud Withdraws.
This country and Great Britain.
while applauding the creation of
the committee, made it plain that
they did not consider it the pro-
vlslonal government of France. 1t
was recognized as the administra-
tive authority for French overseas
territory for the duration of the
war. The Russians went a step
further by recognizing the new
group as the representative of the
state interests" of the French Re-
public.
There Soon enSued a renewal of
the bitter undercover struggle for
power between Gems. de Gaulle
and Giraud which, after many
changes of titles and designations
of authority, resulted recently in
Gen. Girauds withdrawal from the
committee Since then Gen. de
Gaulle has dominated the group
completely.
AS plans for the Anglo American
invasion of Europe through France
were made, the question obviously
arose as to the authority the French
committee would have in Metropo-
Titan France. 1t was with this in
mind that Secretary Hull, in a
speech on April 8 of this year, laid
down the clear-cut American
policy which has resulted in the
present ill-feeling between this
Government and Gen de Gaulle.
Our first concern" Mr.. Hull said,
lis to defeat the enemy, drive him
from French territory, and the ter
ritory of all the adjacent countries
which he has overrun. To do this
the supreme military commander
must have unfettered authority.
But we have no purpose or wish
to govern France or to administer
any affairs save those which are
necessary for military operations
against the enemy. 1t is of the
utmost Importance that civil au-
thority in France should be exer-
clsed by Frenchmen, should be
swiftly established and should op-
crate in accordance with advance
planning as fully as military op-
erations will permit 1t is essential
that the material foundations of the
life of the French people be at once
restored or resumed. Only in this
way can stability be achieved.
Leave Choice to French.
TT has always been our thought
IN planning for this end that we
should look to Frenchmen to un-
dertake civil administration and as
slst them in that task without COM
promising In any way the right of
the French people to choose the ul-
innate form and personnel of the
government which they may wish
to establish. That must be left to
the free and untrammeled choice of
the French people.
The President and l are clear
therefore, as to the need from the
outset of French civil administra-
tlon-and democratic French ad-
mlnistration-in France. We are
disposed to see the French Com
mittee of National Liberation exer-
else leadership to establish law and
order under the supervision of the