“De Gaulle’s Greatest Victory”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 15

“De Gaulle’s Greatest Victory”

(N.Z. Press Assn.— Copyright)

(Rec. 1030 p.m.) PARIS, April 26. Charles de Gaulle, the 70-year-old soldier-President, today scored his greatest victory when he crushed an insurrection by his generals and reunited France, Associated Press said.

In some ways it was the ■ toughest battle he ever I fought. He won it, apparently I with little bloodshed, less 1 through the force of arms ] than through granite deter- I mination. Since he decided to take ’ full emergency powers on ? Sunday night within 24 hours | of the insurrection starting, g President de Gaulle struck | back with such effect that be | quickly redressed the danger- 3 ous situation threatening the | nation. Rallying the French Navy, I the Air Force, the troops in I Germany and those remaining I loyal in Algeria, he drove I the insurgent generals to vir- I tual isolation in Algiers. I Then he ordered the men I loyal to him to “stop the | insurrection, then to break ■ it then to liquidate it, by all the means needed, including the use of arms.” a At home, his police struck x hard at accomplices and sym- y pathisers of the revolt—including some who had been n his close companions in the past . . n Such determination had JJ immediate effect. The threat of an air drop by paratroopers on Paris lessened. Government officials too » control again in most parts " of Algeria

The bhlance of strength and surprise, which ran strongly in favour of the insurgents last Saturday, tipped slowly to the Government side. The man who, in June. IMO. proudly told the world. “France has lost a battle, she has not lost the war.” set up war-scale headquarters in the Elysee Palace where he now lives as President. Military and civilian aides.

grouped around batteries of ■bort-wave radios, kept him posted every hour on operational developments in France and Algeria. The General was back in personal commund He did not leave his palace during the crisis. The public never saw him except when he once appeared on television for an angry attack on the men who were betraying him and the nation. But his presence was always and everywhere felt. As in World War 11. when General de Gaulle set up his Free French Forces, the more daring escaped - from his I enemies and hastened the defeat of the opposing side. Then, they escaped from Nazi-occupied France and creased the Channel to join the virtually unknown briga- | dier-general in Britain. Now. fleeing the insurgent-held , areas of Algeria, they crossed the Mediterranean to join ' him as Chief of State in ' France. What started as a trickle ' of sailors, soldiers and airmen in IMO swelled to a steady • stream, then became a tor- • rent before the end of World ‘ War n. The tour insurgent 1 generals in 1961 saw the 1 same drain on their strength • beginning before they threw in their hand. . De Gaulle has won again.