POSITION ACUTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1943, Page 4

POSITION ACUTE

FRENCH NORTH AFRICAN DEADLOCK

REPORTED INTERVENTION BY ALLIES. DE GAULLE'S ARMY REFORM DEMANDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, June 21. There has been Allied intervention in the French political situation in North Africa. Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says this can be stated authoritatively. The British United Press says last efforts to prevent General de Gaulle breaking away from the French Committee of National Liberation are now being made, following on failure, at a plenary session today, . to reach agreement on General de Gaulle’s demands for Army reform. General de Gaulle is still threatening to go to Syria if his demands are not met. A number of his close followers, including members of the Committee, stated that they would accompany him. One de Gaullist said there was a fifty-fifty chance of agreement before the resumption of the session tomorrow.

The session today, over which General de Gaulle presided, lasted for two and a half hours. The discussion was frank and bitter. Both sides, however, showed a willingness to attempt to reach agreement. General de Gaulle wasted no time in bringing up the question of Army reform. He is reported to have declared that this was the crux of the Committee’s future and that of all for which it stood, and therefore must be settled courageously and without delay. Debate centred in General de Gaulle's proposal that a number of the older generals, whom the de Gaullists claim are collaborationists and defeatists, should be replaced by younger men. General de Gaulle contended that there could be no compromise on this point without compromising the Committee’s whole future structure. The Giraudists argued that the present was not the time for sweeping changes in the Army. The meeting agreed to the reorganisation of the Tunisian Government, naming M: Gromand Secretary-General and approving the dismissal of the Direc-tor-General of the Niger Colonial Office. M. Ecline, who was found guilty of abandoning his post.