FRENCH LEADERSHIP

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 217, 9 June 1943, Page 5

FRENCH LEADERSHIP

Departments Allocated In

t Algiers (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, June 7. Algiers radio announced that the French Committee of National Liberation has appointed 11 Commissioners to take charge of Departments as follows:— Foreign Affairs: M. Rene Massigll (former head' of the French Foreign Office, who joined General de Gaulle). Moslem Affairs: General Catroux (Fighting French ex-Commissioner in the Middle East, who is now GovernorGeneral of Algeria). Armaments, Supply, and Reconstruction: M. Jean Monnet (a Giraud appointee who has been a French supply representative in Washington since the Armistice). ~ , 'Colonies: M. Rene Pleven, (formerly Fighting French Director of Colonies). Communications and Merchant Navy: M. Rene Mayer (General Giraud s Secretary of Communications). Information: M. Henri Bonnet (formerly a League of Nations official, at present in Washington). . . Interior: M. Andre Philip (who joined the Fighting French National Committee as Director ,of the Interior to co-ordinate the resistance inside France). Justice, Education and Health: Dr. Jules Abadi (General Giroud’s .Secretary of the Interior). Finance: M. Maurice Demourville (General Giraud’s personal principal secretnry). Production and Trade: M. Andre Diethelm (Fighting French Director of Finance and Merchant Navy). Labour and Social Welfare: M. Adrian Tixier (formerly Under-Secretary of. the International Labour Bureau, who- is at present in Washington). ’ . These, with Generals de Gaulle, Giraud and Georges, constitute,. the Committee, which now numbers 14 instead of seven. The Committee has reaffirmed that it is the sole leader of French authority, and has pledged itself to surrender its power when a new Government is set up when France is liberated. It claims the power to make treaties with foreign Powers, and to appoint and receive diplomatic representatives. General de Gaulle and General Giraud will take turn to preside, and both .will sign the decrees announcing the decisions. Algiers radio announced that the Committee has also decided to establish a War Committee to direct France's conduct of the war.

A correspondent says it has not yet been decided whether there will be only one Minister of Defence or separate Ministers for the three services.

M. Helleu is to be High Commissioner in Syria, in place of General Catroux. General Catroux, speaking for the first time as Governor-General of Algeria, said in a broadcast tonight (hat the unity which had been achieved at Algiers was a victory of the spirit won by. Frenchmen who had put aside all their differences. "We have established unity; the horizon has cleared, and France has regained confidence in her destiny,” he stated.

HELD VICTORY FOR DE GAULLISTS

(Received June 8, 10.50 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 7. The “New York Times” correspondent in Algiers, Drew Middleton, commenting on the formation of the Committee, says: “General De Gaulle has won a thumping political victory. General De Gaulle and his appointees are easily powerful enough to block and outvote General Giraud anil his followers. However, there has been a slackening of De Gaulle’s political activities in the past five days, De Gaulle having merged 'his personality into the committee, content to let the committee implement his plan rather than continue to stir up popular feeling.”