Evening star., 1947-04-27

rose against the French authorit,
there were two battalions in tn,
island, force considered more thai
sufficient to keep order. The gov
ernor general had a few planes a
his disposal for more critical situa
tions.
The Malagasy battalion, composed
Of native draftees who had proyet
loyal to French authority, refused t,
obey when ordered to suppress tn,
rebellion. Only the Senegales,
complied with their officers com
tmands.
The situation became more critica
when the French authorities dis,
covered that the population wa
well-armed and led by individual.
who knew a good deal about guer.
rilla warfare Inquiry revealed thai
crews Of French ships had surrep.
titiously landed arms and ammuni.
tlon on the Island.
Communists Protest.
The population was melted t,
rebellion by the native members o1
the French Parliament. The cover,
nor general ordered their arrest un.
der existing law. The Communists il
Paris Immediately raised violent
protest against an act which inter.
fered with the freedom Of any mem.
Der of the French Assembly and Al
a cabinet meeting April 16 Maurice
Thorez, the deputy premier, ane
the four other Communist cabine
ministers broke up the session b,
walking out on their "reactionary'
colleagues.
The Madagascar troubles are con.
tinuing. The French cabinet woule
like to send adequate military rein.
tforcements to answer the desperat,
appeals of the governor general, but
does not dare do so lest the Com.
munist ministers resign and provoke
a government crisis.
The situation in Tunisia ane
Algeria is equally bad, although only
sporadic disturbances have occurred
there.
The French military security
agency, which has not been infil.
trated by Communists and fellow.
travellers, has warned the Minister
of National Defense, who is a Com.
munist, and the Minister of Colonies
who is a Socialist, of the danger o,
a major rebellion this summer.
Arabs Get Arms.
Proof has been presented tina
substantial quantities of arms ant
ammunition have reached tn,
Arabs in both Tunisia and Algeris
in the last IL months. Document.
have been presented to the cabine
showing that natives in the town
and cities are being worked" by
foreign agents who are taking ad.
vantage of widespread dissatisfac.
ton over the economic situation
particularly the lack of cotton goods
It has also been shown that tht
native tribes, which have Away
been warlike and unruly, are being
stirred to rebellion. Mohammedan!
from Arabia, supplied with Sovie
gold, are urging the natives to rait
French outposts and rid North AT.
RIGA Of all "unbelievers," that Is tt
say Frenchmen.
French settlers in the towns ant
outlying districts-many of whom
have lived in peace and friendship
with the Arabs for many yearsart
liquidating their holdings to native
SPECTATORS as fast as they can anc
are returning to France.
These people know the Arabs well
All their capital is invested in the
land acquired or the trade started
by their grandfathers. They have
never been panicky in spite of occa:
sional outbursts Of the natives, who
showed their dissatisfaction by TAX
ing up arms and raiding isolated
settlements or military outposts.
Prepared to Take Losses.
This time, these people tell the
authorities, it is the real thing anc
they are prepared to lose the bulk o1
their property rather than face tht
troubles which are expected in the
next few months.
Communist newspapers in Algeria
and Tunisia are openly advocatine
that the Arabs use force to rie
themselves of French domination
while the tribes are provided with
modern arms and large quantitie.
OF ammunition. Reluctant Arat
chieftains, who have been on gooe
terms with the French for the las
50 years, are being won over by gold
which is an irresistible argument ir
that part of the world.
The Paris government Is in a di.
lemma. Premier Paul Ramadiel
would like to take the obvious pre-.
cautions and send the necessary
troops to meet any emergency, bu
such an action might mean not only
a ministerial crisis-which Mr.. Ra.
nader does not fear too much be.
cause he knows he won't be in offic,
much longer-but also possibly /,
general strike, which no French
government could afford to expert,
ence.
Algeria Is Important.
MIR. Thorez indicated this quit.
clearly at the last stormy cabine
meeting. France might be able t,
lose Indo-China and Madagascar
without too much hardship, but Al.
geria, which has been France
granary and is an integral part d
the French republic, is another
matter.
Algeria has been the bread baske