Evening star., 1947-05-24

anu CQeSL. lue llttle rtllOW lOOkeQ C6lUu
and quiet. couldn't help thinking that maybe
this was quite relief to him after the
terribly "hot seat" he had been occupying for
the last month and q half.
My next thought was to get in touch with
Ike and with Gen. Giraud who were together
or about to meet somewhere in Tunisia
found that Giraud had been called back
by his own people before my message got to
Gen. Eisenhower. He was at the st. George
almost as soon as I had returned there.
Attacked by University Student.
Admiral Darlan had been on his way into the
summer palace following late luncheon when
a 22-year-old university student yelled some
unintelligible phrase while firing four shots
point blank at the admiral. One of Darlan's
aides grappled with the assassin and succeeded
in holding him; not, however, before he had
himself received two leg wounds.
I didn't know what this might mean politi-
cally. I issued immediate orders alerting all
our troops.
Two big problems loomed Immediately: first
whom to put in charge Of the French, and
second-how to handle the announcement 30
that the Axis might least profit, and French
politics be disturbed as little as possible
The French officers on hand at the ST. George
were clamoring for me to send for Gen. Nogues.
I wanted Giraud-and wanted him fast.
warned everyone concerned that for the pres
ent, Gen. Nogues was not even to be informed
Of Darlans death.
In Gen. Eisenhower's absence cabled Gen.
Marshall: "Darlan dead We have imposed rigid
censorship, request all possible restrictions to
prevent leak from London or Washington--an
alerted here and in task forces but no immedi-
ate trouble expected"
rI,a f,rf ,iw hat = fn1k
that we have an acceptable substitute COM
mander to offer the world in general and the
French in particular before the news of
Darlan's death became generally known.
I told Giraud that Gen. Eisenhower felt It
necessary for him to Immediately take over
as high commissioner for French Africa title
he had given Darlan Giraud still wanted q
military command, but quickly came around to
our point of view and said he would 60 along
with the plan.
I personally never saw Darlan's assassin, nor
do I, to this day know much about his back
ground or the motivation of his deed. The best
information our people could give me indicated
that the attack had no complex background
but was merely the act of an unbalanced De
GaulIist
Executed Soon After Trial
The French gave the youth BONNER de la
and executed him early the following morning
Naturally, the Axis tried to make all capital OF
Darlan's death and because We knew there
were Axis agents around, it quickly became
unwise to try to withhold the news at Darlans
death much longer We didn't want Berlin
or Rome to sound of first
I, therefore, ordered formal announcement
of the incident to be made by the French over
Radio A1giers and Radio Morocco Christmas
eve. We framed the announcements to give
the affair an Axis tinge. We had received an
urgent cable from London saying: Prime Min
lister hopes that blame will be placed on Ger
mans and their agents." Therefore the an
nouncement ended: ''The examination Of the
murderer is now taking place. It Is not known
from preliminary investigation Of the assassin
whether the assassination was OF German or
Italian inspiration"
Admiral Darlan's death was, to me, an act
of Providence 1t is too bad he went that way.
But strategically speaking, his removal from
the scene was like the lancing Of trouble
some boil. He had served his purpose and his
death solved what would have been very
difficult problem Of what to do with him IN
the future.
DarIan was political investment forced upon
us by circumstances. But we made . sensa-
tional profit in lives and time through using
him.
/ do not think history viii discount that
usefulness.
THE END.
3 s1as z h