Evening star., 1945-08-24
De GuuIIe
Continued From First Page. J


the press In. both countries should
be objective, but he asked the
American people to bear in mind
that the French press had been
destroyed under the German occu-
patton and the present-day French
journals often had suffered heavily
and also were new at their jobs.
Relations With Neighbors.
Asked about Frances future rela-
tions with its neighbors, Italy and
Spain, Gen. de Gaulle said the ac-
tions of Italy in recent years we're
regretted by the entire world" He
added that he hoped Italy would
60 back to its former democratic
status and that the traditional
friendship between his country and
Italy would be resumed.
With regard to Generalissimo
Francisco Frances Facist Spain,
the French leader said he could not
tell what would develop. there. He
expressed the hope, however, that
there would be changes to bring
Spain into line with the other
democratic nations.
Meanwhile, there were strong in
dications today that Gen. de Gaulle
is making progress on the two main
points of his mission hereto OBJ
tain economic relief for France, and
American diplomatic backing for
restoration of Frances position in
Indo-China. However, the extent to
which Washington is ready to pro-
ceed on either issue is not yet clear
Secretary of State Byrnes, speak
ing at a dinner in Gen. de Gaulle' S
honor at the Mayf1ower Hotel last
night, gave the first official indica-
ton of the tone of the French
American conversations when he
said:
I'VE have come to greater under
standing Of problems between our
two countries"
Backs Indo China Claim.
1t was reported that the United
States is preparing to back Frances
claims for restoration of its pre-
war position of sovereignty in
Indo-China. The issue was raised
Wednesday night when a spokes-
man for the British Foreign Once
said France would not be permitted
to occupy Indo-C China Immediately
and that for the present the north
section of the country would be po-
liced by Chinese forces and the
south by British armies.
French officials near Gen. de Gaulle
were Immediately concerned over
the report from London, and are
understood to have asked the Unit
ed States for guarantees of eventual
sovereignty in Indo-China. There
is no reason to believe, however THAT
this issue is superficial. What the
British meant, it is understood, was
that the French government was in
no position to handle the surrender
of some 25o,0o0 Japanese troops in
Indo-China and that the military
problem must be handled by them
and the Chinese. There is no in
dication that London is disputing
Frances permanent position in the
Far Eastern colony. a7.
Study Diplomatic Questions.
Mr.. Truman, who had a long
talk with Gen. de Gaulle follow
ing an onlcial White House din
ner Wednesday night, said at a
press conference late yesterday that
questions were being sur
veyed by Mr.. Byrnes and Georges
Bidault. the French Foreign Min
lister, who is accompanying Gen. de
Gaulle. Matters on which they
agree. he explained, would
be referred back to him and the
French provisional president.
Asked specifically about the Indo-
Chinese issue, Mr.. Truman said that
it probably had been discussed by
Mr.. Byrnes and M. Bidault, but that
he had no comment to make on it.
Receiving a group of IL French
journalists and photographers here
with Gen. de Gaulle, Mr.. Truman
told them that he hoped they would
begin to give this country a square
deal in the French press, which he
said it had not enjoyed so far. He
did not specify what he had in mind.
The visiting Frenchmen appar-
emily were nonplused by Mr.. Tru-
mans remark and made no reply
and asked no questions. Later,
Pierre Denoyer. political corre-
spondent of France Soir, told Amer
lean newspapermen that "some in
dividual cases could be found in
French papers which could be said
to be critical of the United States"
but that they did not represent the
general tone of the French press.
M. Denoyer was correspondent in
Washington for several years be-
fore the war and Is well known here.
The first clear-cut result of Gen.
de Gaulle's effort to obtain economic
aid was the Foreign Economic Ad-
ministration's decision to grant O.
$240, ,000, 900 Export-Import Bank
loan to France. This, it is assumed,