Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-17
TROOPS

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TROOPS
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told them TO halt and then
withdraw.
Now In Algeria they are night
Ing q particularly brutal war.
Casualties are high - about
5000 dead and 10000 wounded
in 80 years. The army there
also has been saddled with CT
villain jobs and has been handed
the dirty work Of forcing infor-
nation out Of Moslem prison.
ers.
Basic System Blamed
Soldiers are convinced that
after this unwelcome work in
Algeria Paris again is about to
abandon the whole project.
Soldiers believe the basic sys-
tenn Of the Fourth Republic is
to blame for the weakness In
Paris. for the continual rise and
fall Of hopeless. ineffective gov
and for the past hui
of the armed forces.
So what would soldiers like
TO do? The answer, on the
whole, Is nothing"
They do not want an illegal
change in the system. They
intend to wait and hope for a
better system.
There is no clamor for Gen.
de Gaulle. Many high-ranking
officers served during the liberia
ton under Gen. de Gaulle and
they admire him for his mill
tary abilities and his steadfast
patriotism. But they do not
want him as dictator. If Gen.
de Gaulle were to gain power
through constitutional means
and we're to be the strong and
effective leader his supporters
say he would be, then the armed
forces would welcome him-or
any other good man who could
do the same thing.
There are exceptions in the
armed forces to these general
views. Some officers play poll
tics and are known to seek a
strong-man government-even
IL q coup or an Army revolt
is necessary. Regular officers
say these individuals are small
in number and do not now have
a significant following.
Other possible exceptions are
officers caught up in the almost
revolutionary atmosphere OF
Algeria. Gems. Salan and Massu
specifically are believed here to
be basically loyal to the repub-
lie, but temporarily trapped in
a position where they are TAX
ing some disloyal steps.
Fed Hin With Republic
Certainly these generals ant
other army officers there are
fed up with the republic. Also
they are surrounded by revo-
lutionary, Fascistic French set
tiers who are urging them TO
be men on horseback-to save
France by sparkling a move to
force Gen. De Gaulle to power.
Premier Pfiimlin himself adj
mitted yesterday he did not
know exactly where these two
generals stood. Their actions
have been contradictory. Gen.
Massu, in the early hours of
the uprising, signed an almost
Napoleonic manifesto giving
himself all power in Algeria.
He quickly backtracked, plac-
ing himself under his rightful
boss, Gen. Salan, and since has
seemed to waver between 10y
atty to Gen. Salan, Paris and
the illegal Committees of Public
Safety.
Gen. Salan has fired civilian
officials appointed from Paris
and on one occasion shouted
"Vive de Gaulle" from a bal
cony. But he has also ordered
his troops to be loyal to Paris
and by strong implication not
to obey orders from the illegal
committees of settlers and SOL
diers.
The trend yesterday and to-
day has been toward more
loyal than disloyal actions by
officers in Algeria. There is the
feeling here that Gen. Salan
wants to avoid an armed coup
but also to avoid fighting the
settlers whose point Of view he
can easily sympathize with. 1t
is thought he wants to guide
Algerian events to a peaceful
conclusion without losing con-
tact with the settlers or Paris.
Future Course in Doubt
But it must be said that the
future course Of his authority
in Algeria is in doubt.
If the army in Algeria stands
against the government. what
would the army on the con-
tinent do?
Ofhcers say their basic intent
would be to remain loyal to
the republic they do not like.
At the same time they would
try not to become cut OF from
the armed forces in Algeria.
There are almost 100000 troops
in North Africa. almost all Of
them In Algeria. There are
some 100000 on the continent
Of which 10000 are in Germany
on NATO duty. So the forces
on the continent intend to start
nothing but intend also not to
criticize their brothers in AL
geria. Today they are confined
In their barracks by govern
ment order. playing cards, fol-
lowing news and worrying about
the future Of France.
Today there Is no military
coup in sight but he crisis Is
naAA.nk <.taR