PLANS FOR VICTORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1943, Page 4

PLANS FOR VICTORY

SHAPED AT CASABLANCA PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S SURVEY. OUTLOOK IN NORTH AFRICA THOUGHT GOOD. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) RUGBY, February 2. President Roosevelt, at his first Press conference since his return from Casablanca, re-emphasised that his conference with Mr. Churchill was designed to formulate plans for complete victory. Complete agreement was reached on the aim of the unconditional surrender of the Axis. Mr. Roosevelt stressed repeatedly that the Casablanca conference was essentially a military, naval and air conference. Everything was considered and thought of in that light. The conference was a conference to win the war. “Its planning in this direction,” he said, “went as far as one can plan in 1943 to win.” Mr. Roosevelt devoted a large part of his Conference to the political situation in North Africa, which in his opinion is working out very well. He predicted greater co-operation between Generals de Gaulle and Giraud and their staffs as a result of Casablanca. He quoted from an interview with General Giraud in which the latter praised General de Gaulle and professed great admiration for and agreement with the leader of the Fighting French. The President discussed at length his meeting with President Vargas and said he conferred with the Pesident of Brazil on an increased effort by that Republic to fight the submarine problem in the South Atlantic. They agreed said Mr Roosevelt, that any dfraft peace must eliminate any future threat from the African coast against the South American coast. Mr. Roosevelt revealed that he left Mr. Churchill at Manakish, where the Prime Minister was sketching the Atlas Mountains. President Roosevelt said General Giraud told him he could build an army of about 250,000 if furnished with certain weapons. An effort was now under way to send the latest modern equipment to General Giraud. General de Gaulle, Mr Roosevelt said, had now between 15,000 and 20,000 Frenchmen in Equatorial Africa, and possibly some in Madagascar. A column ol General de Gaulle’s forces, fighting in Tunisia, was in close touch with General Giraud’s column. DETAIL FACTS GIVEN TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, February 2. President Roosevelt received Congressional leaders and gave them a resume of the Casablanca Conference proceedings. The Senate majority leader. Senator Barkley, said; “Some of rhe details have already appeared in the Press. Others cannot be revealed.” Mr. Roosevelt earlier conferred with Mr. Cordell Hull, Mr. Sumner Welles and Admiral Stark, commander of the American naval forces in European waters. The Associated Press reports that Mr Roosevelt told the Congressional leaders that approximately 7,500,900 men was the maximum American Army needed to win the war. The Casablanca Conference did not reach a decision on an overall Allied command because M. Stalin and General Chiang had not attended because Russia was Kai-shek were not present. M. Stalin not fighting Japan. The war of attrition in the Pacific is having a telling although slow effect on Japan. Mr. Roosevelt warned that the war might continue for a long time.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS BY FRENCH DELEGATION IN WASHINGTON. PERSECUTION OF DE GAULLISTS IN NORTH AFRICA. (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) WASHINGTON, February 2. A Fighting French delegation declared to the Press that General Giraud’s administration in North Africa was still persecuting and gaoling de Gaullists. Supporting these charges the delegation released two letters from Algeria in which the writers assert that most of the advisers of Mr. R. Murphy (American Minister to North Africa) are former Axis supporters and that General Giraud’s office is continuing the Vichy policy of encouraging the subordination of military to civilian personnel, while men who aided the Allied landing and the union of leaders have been gabled. General Boiseau, at Oran, is posting in every staff of the Anglo-American military services Axis supporters, under the guise of interpreters, secretaries, etc. A Fighting French spokesman declared that the consequences would be serious unless the situation were redressed by American public opinion.