GENERAL DE GAULLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1943, Page 3

GENERAL DE GAULLE

VISIT TO NORTH AFRCA POSTPONED AT REQUEST OF AMERICAN COMMANDER. CRITICISMS AND COMPLAINTS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, April 5. The French National Committee today issued a statement which says : “General Eisenhower has asked General de Gaulle to delay his journey to North Africa. General de Gaulle and the National Committee regret this delay, which could not be prolonged without serious disadvantages. “General de Gaulle and several members of the National Committee have been ready for some days to leave for Algiers in order to re-establish the unity in the empire which is necessitated by the,national interest and is demanded by French opinion at home and overseas.” According to the Fighting French headquarters, General Eisenhower gave military considerations as the reason for his request for postponement of the visit. General Eisenhower said he was unable to turn aside to political considerations when events in Tunisia were marching toward a climax. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says responsible observers believe that the’ postponement of General de Gaulle’s visit arises from a British decision and not a request from General Eisenhower. The move is associated with Mr Eden’s return to London. “It was hinted earlier,” the correspondent says, “that one of the immediate results of Mr. Eden’s conferences in Washington would probably be a change in the British policy toward General de Gaulle, bringing it in line with the American policy of opposing a central French authority, which General de Gaulle desires. “The American view is that Generals de Gaulle and Giraud should unite their forces on the purely military sphere, and that the time has not yet come to create a French provisional Government" because, first, there are apparently still political differences between the two generals, and secondly, recent events have shown that if there should be political unity both generals will be ambitious for the leadership.”