DE GAULLE ON EUROPE’S DEFENCE

Grey River Argus, 4 October 1948, Page 5

DE GAULLE ON EUROPE’S DEFENCE

And French Separatists

PARIS, October 2. General De Gaulle indicated to-day that if he were called ’to power by the people he would not hesitate to crush any reaction opposing the “will of the people.” He was speaking at his first press conference for ten months. Asked if there would be a general strike in the event of his gaining power, General De Gaulle said: "Would it be tolerable for anyone to oppose the will of the people? If such a position did come about could anyone hesitate to crush such reaction ?”

Asked whether, if the Separatists (Communists) formed a Government he would react in a manner not necessarily legal, General De Gaulle declared that if the Saparatists entered the Government his rally would be utterly freed from legalties. He added that he did not think that things would develop in Paris as they did in Czechoslovakia. Things would pass progressively towards a dictatorship if allowed. “How London and Washington would react to that I cannot say. That is their business,” he said. He emphasised the following points:— (1) He hoped for early general elections, but reserved his attitude if an “illegal situation” developed in France. (2) He planned a foreign policy based on making France the >?ystone of Western Europe’s defence (3) He urged the establishment of a Western ' Germany based on a federation of individual German States, which might later before an all-German Federal Union. (4) He favoured European unity in order to make Europe a common economic unit. He said that the Western democracies had a duty to aid France’s recovery. “If the Powers that can be described as ■ free, want France to remain one of them, they must make an effort, which they have not entirelv made so far,” he declared. General De Gaulle criticised the creation of a five Power general staff for Britain, .France, and the Benelux countries to be headed by Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery. “The defence of Europe must be centred in Europe, not in an island separated from Europe,” he said. “I’ mean no detraction of our old friends, the British, or Field-Mai shal Montgomery, but it is inefficient to base European defence m London. If he were returned to power there would be no change m France’s foreign policy, because France, at. the moment, had no foreign nolicv, or any kind of policy. "I would not change our policy. J would make one,” he said.