The Dominion MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1943. THE FRENCH POSITION

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 108, 1 February 1943, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1943. THE FRENCH POSITION

'l'he agreement between Generals de Gaulle and Giraud may be a first step, but the position of the French who are able to ofiei resistance to the enemy will never be satisfactory until they have a provisional Government. In this respect France is alone. The othei overrun countries of Europe all have officially recognized Governments, now centred in London. In cases where pre-war Ministers cou d not escape to set up an Administration, as in Poland,, a military ieadei has undertaken the task-. There is a body with which the Allied Governments can negotiate and diplomatic representatives have been appointed for that work. But in the case of France there is no such central authority. A degree of recognition has been granted to the National Council formed by the Fighting French, but it is not the authorized and acknowledged controlling authority in all free French communities. . . • The weakness seems to lie in the fact that there is no one wno has escaped from France with the status, the prestige and the capacity that would mark him out as the inevitable leader. There is no Dr. Benes among them. It has been stated that the people in France re</ard M. Pierriot as the potential leader, but he is now under arrest. The Fighting French once did make plans for his escape, but he refused to move, saying that his place was with the people in France. Had he been in North Africa today then it would have been possible to establish a provisional French Government which the Allies could have officially recognized and supported to prevent any section from adopting subversive measures. The pathetic attempt by factional newspapers in Algiers to belittle General de Gaulle would then have been impossible, for no French Administration directing efforts for the freeing of France would ignore the great services that able soldier has rendered in maintaining the spirit of the French people throng i dark days. . .. . In official circles in Washington developments are expected that wi'l settle the political situation in North Africa, and if that is done then there should be a cohesion among the French that has been sadly missing since 1940. The Allie/ neither could nor would have anything to do with Vichy, but there is urgent need of some central political authority capable of co-ordinating the activities of military and civil bodies, and there could be no greater incentive than the restoration,of the freedom of their country. It is a most unusual, it not unprecedented position, to have sections led by military men exchanging missions in order to deal with the many complex questions that'must be laced. That position exists because the French people cannot make their wishes known, and whatever is done must be tentative, for the Allies have stated definitely that the matters affecting the government of France and of French possessions will ultimately be decided by the French people. A provisional Government is urgently needed, and if the conference at Casablanca has brought it nearer, then something will have been done to end sectional activities and lestoie the unity in which strength is found.