Evening star., 1944-08-23
Patriots in Full Control Of Civ;
Riga Reachedby Reds Nazis Say
No Word Received
That Americans
Are in Capital
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Aug. 23.-PariI
shook loose the shackles of fou,
years of enemy bondage toda!
and. stood free once more, lib
Grated by armed and unarmet
thousands of Frenchmen who
swept the Nazis from the city!
streets, while American armed
might drew up around thu
capital.
A special communique from Gen
Charles de Gaulle's headquarters II
London announced the liberation
after four days of street fighting
which recalled scenes of Bastillt
Day when the mobs of Paris onct
before struck a historic blow fol
liberty.
This time, the communique said
the fight was led by $4,000 organized
French Forces of the Interior, boil
stored by thousands more wht
Joined in with whatever weapons
they could find.
The announcement touched of
broadcasts to Frenchmen every.
where as the triumphant strains o1
La Marseillaise" sounded again tc
the news of a French victory.
No Word of U. S. Entry.
There was no word Immediately
that American troops had entered
the city.
But the French said they hao
seized all public buildings, won com.
plete control of the situation, anc
captured all the Vichy representa-
tives who had not fed.
Paris was back in French hands
Just four years and IA days from
the time Adolf Hitler's troop:
marched in. German troops, ther
at the flood tide of conquest, en-
tered June IA, 1910.
The city became the first con.
tinental capital of a full-fledged
ally to be freed from German DOM
ination. Rome has been taken, but
Italy started the war as an enemy
and now is a co-belligerent.
The Patriot flare-ur began with a
strike of Paris police. They seized
the prefecture and turned the IA
nous lie de La Cite Into fortress
against which the German attacks
broke" the communique said.
De Gaulle, Eisenhower Confer.
Gen. de Gaulle conferred with
Gen. Eisenhower in France two days
ago-presumably on details of civi
affairs control of the capital which
once more is the pride of all France
(The British radio reported to-
day the head of the French Com
mittee of National Liberation
had arrived in Rennes, on the
Brittany Peninsula, after visit
ing Coutances, Avranches and a
number of other liberated French
cities)
There was no announcement aftel
the De Gaulle- Eisenhower confer.
ence. 1t seemed likely that the
French, who freed their capital
would be allowed to administer it.
There was no indication in the
French communique what casualtie.
had been inflicted on the German
forces or how many had been cap.
tured. Allied airmen for two days
have been reporting the Nazis pull.
ing out of the city to the east ovel
every road.
(The Germans did not immedi-
ately acknowledge any change in
the status of Paris A DNB broad
cast recorded by the Federal
Communications Commission at
6:17 am, Eastern War Time, said
"the situation in Paris has calmed
down as the result of strict meas
ures, but it cannot be said
whether terrorist and irresponsi-
sble elements will provoke unrest
shortly.'D
Rise From Underground.
The thousands of French men and
women who struck down the in.
vaders who had brought misery anc
despair to their homes rose from the
underground of the Montmartre ane
Montparnasse They struck from
the east and from the west.
French colonies were quick to be.
gin celebrating liberation of theil
homeland capital. An Algiers broad.
cast announced Gen. George!
Catroux had ordered the display o.
the tri-color throughout Alberta ane
the ringing of all church bells.
The liberation will be celebrated
in Algiers at pm. by salvos of al
the citys batteries and the blowing
of sirens on all the city's buildings
1t. Gen. Joseph Pierre Koenig
FIJI commander and military Gov
ernor of Paris, gave his ON
cial version Of the deliverance o,
the capital:
"On the morning of Saturday
August 10, the National Council o1
Resistance and the Paris Committe,
of Liberation, in agreement with tn,
national delegate representing tn.
provisional government of thu
French Republic, ordered genera
insurrection in Paris and in thu
Partisan district.
French forces of the interior tt
the number of $4,000 armed men
supported by several hundred thou.
sand unarmed Patriots, went int,
action Immediately.
Prefecture Seized.
'"The Paris police, who had previ,
ously gone on strike, seized the polio,
prefecture and the lie de La Cite
The turned the lie de La Cite intt
a bastion, against which German
attacks broke down.
Toward pm. yesterday, Angus
%, after q four-day struggle, tn.
enemy had been beaten everywhere
and the Patriots occupied all public
buildings.
Representatives of Vichy wert
arrested or are in flight.
Thus the people of Paris have
taken a prominent part in the
Liberation Of the capital.
Long live Francel"