Evening star., 1955-10-09

What Is the answer7 Given
the risidity Of the French ap-
lproach. there can be only one 20
far as the French government
is concerned. It Is to follow ever
more quickly and purposefully
1.-THE path to which the French
government is committed. Since
Algeria is part Of France, there
can be no question Of drawing
back or hedging bets against
an nnpromising future outlook.
Algeria must be ever more
completely absorbed. At what
ever, cost the links must be
strengthened. More than ever.
Algerians must be led to live and
|act and think like Frenchmen.
The legal fiction that Algeria is
France must be translated
quickly into practical reality.
Grimly. and not without . cer-
tain internal revulsion the
python is making q determined
effort to swallow the elephant.
The time for hesitation Is
passed. Reforms authorized by
the French National Assembly
Ias far back as 1947 are on the
point of being put into effect.
They include a far-reaching re-
Organization of the local admin
Iistratiye government to confer
an increased measure Of self
rule, replacing French-controlled
|c entralized administration.
Others include important edu-I
cational. agricultural and reli-
gious reforms. All are designed
to give Algerians q larger slice
of the cake and more say in how
1t should be cut.
Expect Success
! VIII it work? The French be-
lieye that 1t must. They have
found that increased authority
is at times the best stimulus for
increased responsibility among
native leaders. They believe with
Foreign Minister Pinay that it
must surely be possible for
them and us to live In peace
in equality. freedom and brother
od--closely united within a.
single political organization"
There are skeptics. in France
and elsewhere, who doubt this.
They argue that in Algeria,
France has bitten on more than
1t can chew and that any gen.
uine policy Of integration. pur-
sued to its logical conclusion,
must end in failure and ex-
haustion for the homeland.
Others predict that greater self
government under the present
economic and social conditions
viii merely serve to stimulate
the forces Of discomfort and
nationalism. The nationalists
themselves, are dead set against
any measures that restore calm
and strengthen the bonds of
interdependence between Algeria
and France.
The major stumbling -block,
however, is provided neither by
the sceptics nor the extremists.
A few days ago the Moslem house
Of the Algerian parliament
served blunt notice that it OPP
posed enactment Of the latest
reform plan.
A number OF explanations is
offered for their decision
thief. resentment over French
against Algerian ma
tionalists and fear Of terrorist
revenge on the part OF the dele
gates themselves.
Action Was Shock
The fact remains that the
Moslem parliament has always
been considered as representing
the most firmly pro-French ele-I
ment Of the Algerian population.
Their action has come as Q pro-
found shock t0 The French gov
ernment and. for the time being
at least. has brought the reform
program to a grinding halt.
What is the alternative? II
the General Assembly Of the
United Nations could debate the
Algerian problem and come up
with a reasonable solution most
Frenchman would welcome it.
Unfortunately, it has seemed
only too clear that the inspira-
tion for the discussion came
from people who care very little
for the best interests Of Algeri-
ans. Moslem or French--whose
political methods include liberal
use of violence, hatred, racism
and religious fanaticism and
whose ends are best served by
stirring UP trouble rather than
preventing it. OF all possible
roads out Of the unhappy AL
gerian dilemma this would seem
tn he the least nroYnisinR of all.