| Show I If C 1 f French Military ry Circles Expect to Put Putt Giraud on Shelf With Sounding High-Sounding New I I By Joseph Dynan 1 ALGIERS April 7 UP G General M-General General I Charles de In a new move against the position and authority of General Henri Giraud may succeed succeed succeed suc suc- In putting the Fren French h commander com com- commander commander mander on the shelf as inspector gener general J of the armies It was reported reliably Friday In high French military circles Discussions between the two camps still are c continuing but reliable resides re reliable re- re re- re liable Informants on both sides expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed belief that Giraud would accept as a patriotic duty this new role rol with decreased powers and prestige A decision is expected expected expected ex ex- in a day or so so In no event will Giraud continue his present title and functions as commander in chief of French land sea and air forces and unless he accepts the new p position Giraud will step out completely these same informants said Under the plan being pushed by byDe byDe byDe De and his followers in the wake waie of an ordinance April 4 designating designating designating des des- De as chief of ot the armies as president of the national national national na na- na- na committee Giraud would have no successor The change thus would leave De as undisputed commander of the army navy and air forces with active d direction of the armed forces left lett to a n newly created na- na na national l defense general staff established established in the same ordinance of April 4 4 De thus would achieve a a. tighter grasp on civil and military administrators envIsaged envisaged aged for liberated France under the committees committee's r recently e c e en n t l I Y announced announced announced an an- plan for governing areas behind the invasion armies This would prevent the French armies armieS' from dealing with third parties outside the national committee committee committee com com- under directives from the supreme allied invasion commander command command- er General Dwight Eisenhower The kingpin of the French milita mili- mili ta j organization under this this' plan would be the chief of the national defense staff a position not yet filled Giraud under this setup would remain on the sidelines as a sort of fatherly overseer Giraud's followers In predicting the general would accept this wing-clipping wing said his duties would be the same with only the title changed De took tooka a different view As one remarked I 1 Giraud would remain as glorified liaison officer to the Ameri and British sh The new communist coin coni com Francois Billoux cats catt denied reports that Get Gee Bouscat chief of the air f t general staff would resign resin make a place for General Cot Coi who was one of the judges in recent trial in which Pierre cheu chew former Vichy minister of of t terror tenor was was condemned 4 44 4 v W WASHINGTON A HINGTON April 7 r it tr r President Roosevelt indicate his Frid Friday y press conference t c the American government hat intention at this t time e of rec rec i ing the French national in north Africa as the French e of metropolitan Franc Fran t |
