AGREEMENT IN SIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1943, Page 2

AGREEMENT IN SIGHT

BETWEEN DE GAULLE & GIRAUD ! STATEMENT BY BRITISH MINISTER. “CERTAIN HOUSE-CLEANINGS'’ IN PROSPECT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 14. In the “frankest on record” discussion by an Allied official since the North African landing, Mr Harold MacMillan, the British Minister in North Africa, expressed the belief that General Giraud is determined to reach an agreement with General de Gaulle. Mr MacMillan said that an agreement was in .sight which would result in the disappearance of many objectionable features of the present administration. The agreement between the two generals must and would result in certain house-cleanings, and it would lead to the establishment of a de facto provisional French administration to lead the French war effort. The attitude toward Jews must be changed, and the present attitude would never be acceptable to the British and American peoples. If the French were to be allowed to choose their own Government it was up to the Allied nations to create a situation where the national will could exert itself without interference from totalitarian parties. The Allied nations had made natural mistakes, which would bear study with a view to securing improvements for the invasion of Europe. Responsibility for these mistakes must be shared equally by the British and Americans. COMMANDERS CO-OPERATING Th > Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says it is stated authoritatively that the British commanders in North Africa are in full accord with General Eisenhowers policies, politically and militarily, in spite of the views held in some political circles in London. Observers point out that social or political unrest in North Africa might imperil the military operations by hampering communications. General Eisenhower prefers to finish the campaign before dealing with politics. IL is believed in well-informed circles'in Washington, he says, that there is a desire in London to inject de Gaulle into the North African picture in some political capacity. It is freely admitted that politics cannot be treated as something apart from military operations. but it is believed that if a farreaching political shake-up occurred it would not be in the military interest.

Fighting French quarters interpret the report that M. Marcel Peyrouton, the former Vichyite, is en route from Argentina to North Africa to take an important post as another indication of the American State Department’s intention to proceed without regard to General de Gaulle.