NEW DEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1943, Page 3

NEW DEAL

IN FRENCH NORTH AFRICA - ALLIES TAKING FIRMER ACTION. RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS. LONDON, January 18. “It looks as though the stage is cleared for. a new deal in- French North African politics,” says Charles Collingwood, of the Columbia Broadcasting System. “There are signs that a thorough-going re-examination of Allied policy is on the way. Already a new firmness and decision are evident in our handling of affairs here. “For instance, we are no longer taking the word of French politicians that all the political prisoners are free. We have set up a commission headed by the British and American colisulsgeneral at 'Algiers. This commission is going to find out where political, prisoners are and why they are imprisoned, and get them out; and when the commission says this man or that man is to be freed there will be no nonsense about advising or urging the proper French authorities; the man is just released. “The other day, Mr MacMillian, British Resident Minister here, said unequivocally this Government in North Africa is only a provisional one; and on Saturday we were told in official circles that General Eisenhower, as com-mander-in-chief, still has complete authority in North Africa. But what is more important than this sign of firmness is that wo seem finally to be deciding just what we want to do about French Africa. From the way we put Darlan in power here our policy suffered. because we had no plan, no picture of what we wanted to do with French Africa. Today it seems that such a plan is being hammered out.” COMMANDERS MEET MONTGOMERY & LECLERC. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 18. The Morocco radio reports that General Leclerc’s forces have made con-' tact with the French in southern Tun- - isia. General Leclerc has already met General Montgomery.