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FRENCH DISSCVMDLE ANGI OVE SLIZURCS
PARIS -- the de Gaulle government has decided to follow discretion in relation to the nationalization of properties owned by Europeans in ‘Algeria. A formal protest was filed April 5 cherging the Algerian government with having violated the Ivian agreement which ended the war last year. The owners of the nationalized holdings were not “comnensated"” for their losses as is required by the agreement. —
The protest demanded that Algeria live up to the agreement, _but no threats of specific reprisals were made. -
The press reported that. the French ambassador to Algeria, Georges . Gorse, will make a stronger statement in private, telling Algerian | officials that Trench tolerance has reached its limit and thet further , measures at this kind will wreck co-operation. | : Henry Giniger,. Paris correspondent of the Hew York T Times, explained the reasons for the French restraint as follows:
"One “ey to the rolatively mild French stand is ‘understood to be France's desire to protect her considerable investments in Saharan oil. Drusque or aggressive action by Trance, it is feared, might incite the - Algerians to ‘socialize’ the oil installations as they have other q French~owned property. + « «
“Another key is france's desire not to compromise her rapproche- / ment with the Arab world. That was symbolized by the re-establishment ' of diplomatic relations with Cairo this week."
On April 6, Ben Bella interrupted a speech he was giving in Arabic at Oran to say a few words in I'rench to the reporters. ."I greet with “ getisfaction the position taken by the French government, as. expressed yesterday, above all’ since it indicates that this government: understands 6 that Alceria wants to carry out things its own waye e . ! Later he added: "I thought out any socialization projects during the years I wos in prison in France."
| NURI IN: ALGERIA WINS SUPPORT OF COMAMTETS
Alger Réepublicain, the daily paper in Algiers which voices the opinion of the banned Communist party, is solidly supporting the new ; steps toward socialism taken by the Ben Della government.
In a front-page editorial in the April 6 issue, Henri” Allee de~ clared thct the means Committees open a “"non-capitalist. road for Algeria." ; In the issue ‘dated April wf, in enotiier front-page editorial, ouglem Khalifa approved Ben Della‘s statement that Algeria is. “entering the second stage of its revolution."
“he recent governmental measure ," he continued, "which President
=G= Ben Seile announced for. the corning days, operis for the workers, for the people, to all the healthy and revolutionary forces, stirring nerspectives."
In the April 9 issue an editorial signed "auger Républicain" rulled out the stops still further:
rhe historic decisions nationalizing rs big oolonial domains and the declarations of President Den Della clearly indicating Algeria faithfulness to the Tripoli program and his will to take the nonepee road without any equivocation, has aroused profound echoes | abroa =.
The editors note the response in Tunis, liorocco and Africa as a whole, the liiddle Last, the countries of the West and the “Third World' where hopes have been raised and the applause is ringing.
"As for our. friends of the socialist countries, from Cuba to the Soviet Union, they wish from the bottom of their hearts that we will continue along the route which we have entered and they assure us of their complete solidarity.
"Thus, all the world forces of progress have grasped that the battle which we are in and the orientation defined by President Ben Bella, concerns not only the future of our country, but can -influence by igo ae had consequences the future of the continent itself and the wor =
In Trance the Communist party, took note of the happenings in Algeria by publishing in L'tfumanite the text of a congratulatory message to Ben Della sent by “Algerian Communists in France."
Vailing the _nationalizations and the measures concerning "vacated properties" the message assured Den Bella of their solidarity and of their resolution "to unite and to mobilize the Algerian workers in extending their taking in hand the destiny of our country by the workin class anc the poor peasants for the development of our country and the construction of socialism. i
elcome as this support is, it is not without its irony. The Algerian people won their freedom while the powerful Communist party. of Trance either openly backed the imperialist French government or turned its gaze coldly away from the freedom fighters in their most | desperate hours of need.
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