Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-18
BY RICHARD FRYKLUND
European Correspondent Of the STA

BY RICHARD FRYKLUND
European Correspondent Of The star
PARIS. June le.-France has
just received It's first positive
dividend on It's investment in
Gen. Charles de Gaulle.
The general has reached a
first-step settlement with Tu-
nisla on disputes which have
had the two countries rocking
on the brink Of war since last
fall.
II Is the same settlement
which French officials said in
November was necessary and
logical. but which when sug-
gested by America and Britain
led 10 the farms to Tunisia"
rupture in relations between
France and her allies. 1t was
also the same solution sug-
gested in April by the British
American good Offices mission.
consideration Of which caused
the abrupt overthrow Of the
Felix Gaillard government.
But Gen. de Gaulle has
enough personal prestige and
administrative power to make
q compromise necessary and get
away with IL.
Previous Objections Recalled
Spokesman for the right.
papers like Aurore. announced
the agreement today without
comment. The Socialist paper
Popla &c pointed out that the
agreement was the same one
the right had emotionally
blocked before with cries of
treason and American inter-
ference,
This Of course is the sort of
thing Gen. de Gaulle was hired
to do. Frenchmen know there
is a series Of hard decisions. to
make and facts to face. No
ordinary Premier with ordi-
nary powers could act without
being torn down by rightist
members of Parliament.
No one, however, can call
Gen. de Gaulle a traitor and
be taken seriously, and there
is no parliament to bring down
the government.
Gen. de Gaulle agreed with
the Tunisian government that
all French troops would be
withdrawn from the interior
of Tunisia within four months.
The Tunisians agreed to let
France use the naval base at
Bizerte pending final agree
ment on the future Of that
base.
Double Advantage
This rids Tunisia of the irri-
Eating presence Of French
troops and it assures France
Of the Bizerte base. the only
military installation in Tunisia
that France really wants.
The two countries now are
resuming full diplomatic rela-
tons and can go ahead with
other agreements in a calm
reasonable atmosphere.
The chances are that per-
manent French use of Bizerte
can be agreed to, as TuniSians
want the income the base
brings. NATO doesn't need the
base, as other good ones are
available in the Mediterranean
area. so if France doesn't use
it Bizerte will crumble into
rust.
France expects to be per-
mitted to reopen closed con-
sulates throughout Tunisia
Expelled and resettled French
men will return to homes and
businesses.
Then the two countries can
get to the heart of their mutual
problem: Tunisian defense OF
her own territory. In effect
Tunisia is an occupied country
occupied By Algerian Moslem
rebel forces and their Tuni-
sian supporters. A govern
ment with tiny army cannot
pretend to be its own master
Training Can Be Discussed
Now France can return
quietly to last falls discussions
of French arming and train
ing of Tunisian forces. France
wants this because it will con-
tinue French influence il
Tunisia and will permit ;
strong Tunisian army, properl!
supervised, to guard its owl
frontiers.
The Tunisian government
wants it because it likes a clos
French tie and wants an effec
tive army. Also economic all
presumably would go with mil
itary assistance.
When this arrangement wa
under negotiation last fall, tn
French government could no
accept it because TuniSia wa
being virtually run by Algerian
rebels and rightists blocket
any deal" with Tunisian Pres
ident Bourguiba. America an
Britain stepped in with an arm
sale to Tunisia in an effort 4
give Mr.. Bourguiba enough
strength to handle the rebels
The French Parliament severed
condemned this interference.
But now Gen. de Gaulle ha
taken the first step toward jus
such a deal.
Border Closing Issue
France and Tunisia later wi
work on cooperative closln
OF the Tunisian border. Now al
gerian rebels freely cross tn
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