Evening star., 1945-08-23
DE GauIIe Plea
10 Truman on
Seen
General Expected to
Ask U. S. Aid to
Regain Colony
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.


BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.
Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the
provisional president of France,
opens his official conversations
with President Truman today
amid indications that France
may follow tortuous road be-
fore regaining possession of its
richest overseas colony, French
Indo- China.
Frances role in the Far East
following the defeat of Japan. it is
understood, is one of the primary
matters on the generals agenda.
Coincident with his arrival here late
yesterday, a British Foreign Once
spokesman announced that France
would not be permitted to administer
Indo- China Immediately. Under the
British plan, as reported here,
Chinese forces would occupy the
north of Indo-C China and the British,
who have q large army in neigh
boring Burma, would take over the
south.
Diplomatic sources believed that
one of the visiting generals first
moves would be to ask Mr.. Truman's
Intervention to assure the preserva-
ton of Frances interest in this rich
Far Eastern colony. Even before the
British announcement, it was UNDER
stood that Gen. de Gaulle planned
to ask American aid in moving
French troops to Indo-C China.
French Foreign Minister Georges
Bidault conferred for two hours
with Secretary of State Byrnes to.
day, and told reporters later that
they reviewed a great number of
questions of interest to their two
countries, especially of an economic
nature. He said Indo- China was
not discussed.
Mr.. Bidault said he especially ap-
preciated the atmosphere of friend
illness" and the complete frankness
with which Mr.. Byrnes discussed
everything that came up. Their con-
versations will continue, probably
this afternoon, he added.
At the same time, Gen. Alphonse
JUN, Chief of Staff of the French
Army, had lunch at the War De-
partment with Gen. George c. Mar
shall. the American Chief of Staff.
Honors Unknown Soldier.
In a ceremonial gesture, symbolic
of Franco-American friendship from
the days of the Revolutionary War
on through the World War, Gen. de
Gaulle this morning laid q wreath
on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier
in Arlington Cemetery.
As his car rolled into the ceme-
terry, an Army field gun began al
gun salute to the French provisional
president When he arrived at the
Arnphitheater, platoon OF Ameri-
can soldiers fianked the tomb on
either side and provided a guard of
honor through which he passed.
Accompanied by Brig. Gen. Robert
N. Young, commandant of the mill
tary district of Washington, Gen.
de Gaulle, followed by an American
Army color guard bearing the tri-
color of France, paused on the
marble steps leading to the tomb
and raised his arm in salute before
placing the wreath before the tomb,
Arrives on Four-Motored Plane.
The tall, serious French leader.
who headed the Free French" after
the capitulation of France in 1910,
arrived at the National Airport at
4 pm. yesterday in a -motored
plane bearing the Cross of Lorraine
and the French tricolor. 1t was
slightly more than 13 months, OBJ
servers recalled, since he swept out
of the same skies to talk with the
late President Roosevelt and arrange
for collaborations between his fol-
lowers and the Anglo-American
army of liberation.
In contrast with his serious mein
on his earlier visit, Gen. de Gaulle
yesterday appeared confident and
smiling. AS he stepped from his
plane, the Frenchman was greeted
first by Ambassador Henri Bonnet
of France and Charles T. Summer
lin, State Department protocol ex-
pert. He then passed through an
honor guard of French aviation
cadets to be received by Mr.. Byrnes.
Assistant Secretary of State Dunn,
Commodore James T. Vardaman, jr.,
the Presidents naval aide;- Brig.
Gen. Harry K. Vaughan, the Presi-
dents military aide, and other
officials
The tall soldier then turned to
microphone to address his first
words to the American public. Al
though, so far as officials here
could recall, Gen. de Gale spoke no
English when he was here last year,
he addressed the public in our own
language. extending the thanks OF
France to American fighting men
for their part in the liberation.
Expresses Thanks to United States.
The first thing I want to say il
thank you," he began. Without
you, the great American people, led
by your great Presidents, Roosevelt
and Truman, there would be no fu-
ture for Europe and Asia, but only
intolerable servitude. There would
have been no freedom for the world.
there would have been no victory"
Then, turning to the future, he
added:
1T Is the earnest desire. of France
to unite her efforts with yours in
. spirit of confidence and friend-
ship"
He brought from Paris, he said.
"a friendly salute from my coun.
try and concluded:
Long live the United States Of
America. !"
Accompanying Gen. de Gaulle
were M. Georges Bidault, Gen. JUN,
(See DE GAULLE, Page A-4.)
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