Evening star., 1945-08-26
Truman and De GauIIe
Issue Statement Cifno
Unity on Postwar Aims
By the Associated press

Es the Associated Press.
President Truman and Gen
Charles de Gaulle in a joint
statement yesterday emphasized
there Is a fundamental har-
mony between French and
American postwar aims.
They expressed readiness to act
In establishing an even closer CO.
operation between the two coun-
tries"
Meanwhile, from members of the
group accompanying Gen. de Gaul,e
1t was learned that the French
government is planning to use l.
100000 German prisoners of war for
two years to reconstruct devastated
cities and lands.
The joint statement of Mr.. Tru-
man and Gen. de Gaulle said:
THE visit of Gen. de Gaulle,
president of the provisional gov
ernment Of the French republic, to
the President of the United States
OF America has been marked by an
important exchange of views be-
tween the two chiefs of state, who,
In the course of their first meeting,
expressed their sentiments of mu-
tual high esteem.
Discussion Full and Frank.
THE conversations which began
Immediately after Gen. de Gaulles
arrival in Washington, have made
possible a thorough discussion of
wide range Of subjects, among them
those of most immediate interests
to the two governments.
Subsequent to the second con-
versation between President Tru-
man and Gen. de Gaulle, and at
their request, the Secretary of State,
Mr.. Byrnes, and Foreign Minister, !,
Monsieur Bidault, had during two
days full and frank discussion of
political and economic questions in
which the two countries are deeply
interested.
Following those discussions, both
the Chiefs of State and the Secre-
tary of State and the French For
eign Minister have fully recognized,
In the course of further meeting ;,
the fundamental harmony between
French and American aims in the
construction of the postwar world
and have expressed their readiness
to act in accordance with this mu-
tual understanding by establishing
an even closer cooperation between
the two countries"
No Specific Request Made.
Jean Monnet, chief of French
Economic Mission in Washington,
has been discussing specific eco
nomic arrangements between France
and the United States, notably
those bearing on long range con-
struction. But authorities said Gen.
de Gaulle himself had made no
specific request for help and had
sought instead to present to Mr..
Truman a picture of the difficult
circumstances in which France now
finds herself.
French officials stressed the fact
that when the European war started
the republic had a population of
Al 100000 and when it ended the
combination of death and a low
birth rate had created net deficit
OF about 100000 persons.
Gen. de Gaulle offered figures to
show 1t would require 10 billion
man hours of work to reconstruct
France and that this was equivalent
to keeping 100000 men laboring
eight hours day for four years.
Use up to Commission.
In this connection officials brought |
out plans for using German war
prisoners to do part of this JOHN
other words total of 1000 900 men
for two years. The French contend |
that to keep them longer might re-
suit in some Of them settling down
in France, something the French
government wants to avoid
The question of prisoners is not
one for settlement by Gen. de Gaulle
and Mr.. Truman, but involves a de-
cision to be made by the Allied
reparations Commission which has
headquarters in Moscow.
Meanwhile, Gen. de Gaulle is be-
1ieved to have received assurances
that the United States intends to
aid France in the form Of credits
and that his proposal for a long
term program of French reconstruc-
tion with large American financial /
assistance Is being well received
here.