| Show M rry Go Holds Up Plans to Use De By Drew Pearson WASHINGTON The The pr sl Ident I- I d dent nt has had what LoUie Howe used to describe a as the tile old Dutch up against General De Dc and the army's plan pInn for tor using him In the liberation of at France Franc For two months month the plan lay on th the presidents president's desk while he delayed In n acting on it In OIn January this column re reported reported reported re- re ported that General Eisenhower r had nad completely revamped any earlier Ideas about De Dc had found that he was overwhelmingly overwhelmingly over over- popular inside France and that when the second second sec see ond front invasion came the allied armies wo would ld get more support Inside France If IC It W was S known in advance th that t they were cooperating per cent with De Dc Accordingly a p plan n was work worked d out whereby immediate French elections and other ther political po matters would be under Do Dc Gaull s 's committee of national national national na na- na- na liberation when and if it France was invaded This political set up was fas yas es especially especially es- es pushed ush d by the army which didn't want General Ei Eisenhower El- El ver senho to have to worry about political problems is as he did in North Africa The British also agreed and even even the state department department department de de- de- de never enthusiastic about De concurred thanks largely to 0 the getting go-getting salesmanship of or Undersecretary Ed l' l Furthermore Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral Leahy former ambassador ambassador dor to Vichy who always ys' ys has been unenthusiastic about De Dc said that he would In Interpose Interpose Interpose In- In no objection But when hen the plan got to the White e House it stuck The t for two months The president has given rt nd rid very clear explanation but those who were at Casablanca think the they know one of the answers Ever since D De Dc stubbornly stubborn stubborn- ly Iy refused to get together there therewith therewith therewith with General Gira Giraud d the president president president dent h has s had personal thumbs down on the Free French I leader ader Roosevelt had propos proposed d to Churchill t that hat h a t De Dc b be brought to Casablanca figuring that in the end his persuasive charm co could ld bring the two Frenchmen h together Bl De Dc remained ob ob- ob- ob durate Roosevelt even had a ahard ahard hard time Um getting him to pose for a photo with Giraud It was one of the few times that the president has not been able to melt a visitor In addition to which De despite his high principles is one of the most difficult Frenchmen anyone anyone any any- one ever had to deal with None of this has been forgotten at atthe atthe atthe the White House So when the the army plan to cooperate with De Dc G ulle got st stymied on the presidents president's desk Se Secretary of W War r Stimson and Acting Secretary of State Stat Stet Stet- tinius s came up t to the White Ho House se Entering the executive office said Mr President the secretary of or war Is tremendously interested interested interested inter inter- ested in this the matter with the state department nl chirped up Stimson snit the stat department depart depart- m ment nt interested in It too st agreed gf Cd d but ar arOUsed sed no enthusiasm l sm fr from m the pr president si- si d dent nt Who suggested that the plan be redrafted l. l Wh What t you mean mean surmised Secretary of War Stimson n n- n nIs Isto Is la Isto lato to put in a whereas and a whereof where where- of clause saying Notwithstanding ing th the above General D De Dc Ga lIe lIeis is a 80 and so nd Captain Eddie did some bare knuckled sermonizing ser ser- ser ser- about bout the he attitude of the average Ani Am American Hcan toward R Russia RUia d during a confidential talk on Capitol hill the theother other night Addressing a cl door closed meetIng meetIng meet meet- Ing of ot the CI Club b third- third t term rm Republican congressmen the World War Wai I ace declared that the m minds of ot most Americans Ameri Amen cans ns' ns were cluttered l up wl with h. h too much propaganda and to too little real rear information about our our soviet allies ames nb who recently returned from a war wa-r department department depart depart- ment sponsored ed t tour ur of ot the battie battle battle bat bat- tle tie fronts also got i in a few political licks against the n new w deal plus some sorrie kudos for his friend triena Lieutenant General G George GCorge orge Patton The trouble with vilh our thinkIng thinking think think- ing lug ab about ut Russia Is that we ve are re 20 20 y years ars behind t the h a ti times time d Rick nb asserted assented Russia l 1 Is e entirely different now from the c cOUntry we we knew w after the ther r revolution vol I had an an excellent chance t to study condi conditions tl ns there ther thereas as a civilian observer for the war d department nt and I w was waIf a s' s greatly impressed mpr by the country country country coun coun- try and the people In fact the Russians could teach Americans a lot of things On the subject ct of or General P Patton r declared d' d that Pattons Patton's slapping sHipping of a sick soldier v was s inexcusable b but t h he urged his listeners to remember that Ute tile flighty tempered general general general gen gen- eral had Just been through gh the stress and lind strain atrain of the tough Afric African n campaign the success I of which w was ws s due hi large larg part t to Pattons Patton's daring leadership it it required little c coaxing axing by his G 0 O P listeners to elicit Rick Rick- vl views ws on th new deal a 8 rock rock- ribbed conservative frequently criticised for his utterances ut ut- ut- ut s also declared t that hat h a t American business itself Usel wap was wa p partly responsible for all 11 this regimentation by Washington American businessmen should come out but of or their foxholes and fight tight for their rights he declared declared de de- de- de dared hotly hoUy amid loud applause from his hla R Republican audience |
