Algiers talks on Darlan's successor and chance to end muddle
Title
Algiers talks on Darlan's successor and chance to end muddle
Description
Article 1. Headlines: Algiers talks on Darlan's successor, Giraud, Nogues or Boisson likely to be selected. New problems for allies, assassin's name kept secret. Covers action after the assassination of Admiral Darlan. Article 2. Headlines: chance to end muddle, allies must take firm line, Giraud's policy, the motive. Concerns French North Africa problem.
Date
1942-12-27
Temporal Coverage
Language
Type
Format
One newspaper cutting mounted on a scrapbook page
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
SValentineJRM1251404v10047
Transcription
THE OBSERVER, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1942
ALGIERS TALKS ON DARLAN’S SUCCESSOR
Giraud, Noguès Or Boisson Likely To Be Selected
NEW PROBLEMS FOR THE ALLIES
Assassin Shot At Dawn
A few hours after his assassin had faced a firing squad, Admiral Darlan, High Commissioner in French Africa, was buried in Algiers yesterday afternoon.
All the members of the Imperial Council – the body set up by Darlan a few days before his death – arrived in Algiers yesterday to choose a new High Commissioner. Their decision was expected to be announced to-day.
The candidates most favoured yesterday afternoon, according to messages from Algiers, were General Giraud (C.-in-C. of the French forces in North Africa), General Noguès (Resident-General in Morocco), and M. Boisson (Governor-General of French West Africa).
High Allied officials have also assembled in Algiers. Our Diplomatic Correspondent points out that there are certain dangers for the Allies in leaving the matter entirely in the hands of a Council which consists of Darlan’s own nominees.
General Giraud, to whom attaches none of the ”political” suspicions which have been felt in regard to the others, received a great welcome from the crowds which saw his arrival in Algiers on Friday.
[italics] Darlan’s career marred by vanity – Page 5. [/italics]
ASSASSIN’S NAME KEPT SECRET
Admiral Darlan’s assassin was executed by a firing squad in Algiers at dawn yesterday. He had been condemned by a court-martial which met at 6 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Except that he is young and of French nationality, with an Italian mother living in Italy, there is still nothing known about him. The name, it is announced, is being kept secret for reasons of national security.
An American commentator, [missing words] had paid the penalty of his act Admiral Darlan was buried.
From the hospital where he died the Admiral’s body was taken to the grand entrance hall of the Government building, where it lay in state during Friday. During the day long queues filed silently past the bier.
Surmounting the flag-draped coffin was Darlan’s gold-braided Admiral’s cap.
Some of those who joined the procession stopped for a moment to sprinkle a few drops of holy water. Numbers [missing words]
CHANCE TO END MUDDLE
ALLIES MUST TAKE FIRM LINE
GIRAUD’S POLICY
By OUR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
The assassination of Admiral Darlan opens a way out of one of the worst tangles of the war – but it does not by any means constitute a final solution of the French North African problem.
This opportunity for ending the period of expediency that had begun to cast a shadow over Allied policies must not be missed. It is the joint responsibility of Government, Parliament and Press to see that it is not.
Some anxiety is already felt here at the announcement by Morocco Radio that Darlan’s successor is being chosen by the so-called Imperial Council set up by him – a pseudo-council which was, in fact, officially repudiated by Mr. Eden on behalf of the Government.
It is this aspect of the situation that gives rise in informed circles here to serious apprehension that, if the whole matter is left in the none-too-spotless hands of this council, even more befuddlement, at best, is likely to result.
In the absence of any expression of official opinion in London, it may be assumed that there will be no disagreement with President Roosevelt’s denunciation of the murder of Darlan.
THE MOTIVE
It is not yet known publicly just who the killer of Darlan was, or why he acted. The statement issued by General Bergeret, Darlan’s Adjutant-General, implies that the assassin had pro-Vichy and pro-Axis sympathies.
General Bergeret declared in effect that Darlan’s death was “inspired by those who would not pardon him for responding to the desire of the French people to free themselves from the Nazi yoke.” If this is confirmed the case is hardly comparable with what it would have been if Darlan had been killed by a French patriot. But it is important that the facts on this point be established clearly and impartially.
Until this full knowledge is available, attention is naturally centred on the future. Who will succeed Darlan?
ALGIERS TALKS ON DARLAN’S SUCCESSOR
Giraud, Noguès Or Boisson Likely To Be Selected
NEW PROBLEMS FOR THE ALLIES
Assassin Shot At Dawn
A few hours after his assassin had faced a firing squad, Admiral Darlan, High Commissioner in French Africa, was buried in Algiers yesterday afternoon.
All the members of the Imperial Council – the body set up by Darlan a few days before his death – arrived in Algiers yesterday to choose a new High Commissioner. Their decision was expected to be announced to-day.
The candidates most favoured yesterday afternoon, according to messages from Algiers, were General Giraud (C.-in-C. of the French forces in North Africa), General Noguès (Resident-General in Morocco), and M. Boisson (Governor-General of French West Africa).
High Allied officials have also assembled in Algiers. Our Diplomatic Correspondent points out that there are certain dangers for the Allies in leaving the matter entirely in the hands of a Council which consists of Darlan’s own nominees.
General Giraud, to whom attaches none of the ”political” suspicions which have been felt in regard to the others, received a great welcome from the crowds which saw his arrival in Algiers on Friday.
[italics] Darlan’s career marred by vanity – Page 5. [/italics]
ASSASSIN’S NAME KEPT SECRET
Admiral Darlan’s assassin was executed by a firing squad in Algiers at dawn yesterday. He had been condemned by a court-martial which met at 6 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Except that he is young and of French nationality, with an Italian mother living in Italy, there is still nothing known about him. The name, it is announced, is being kept secret for reasons of national security.
An American commentator, [missing words] had paid the penalty of his act Admiral Darlan was buried.
From the hospital where he died the Admiral’s body was taken to the grand entrance hall of the Government building, where it lay in state during Friday. During the day long queues filed silently past the bier.
Surmounting the flag-draped coffin was Darlan’s gold-braided Admiral’s cap.
Some of those who joined the procession stopped for a moment to sprinkle a few drops of holy water. Numbers [missing words]
CHANCE TO END MUDDLE
ALLIES MUST TAKE FIRM LINE
GIRAUD’S POLICY
By OUR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
The assassination of Admiral Darlan opens a way out of one of the worst tangles of the war – but it does not by any means constitute a final solution of the French North African problem.
This opportunity for ending the period of expediency that had begun to cast a shadow over Allied policies must not be missed. It is the joint responsibility of Government, Parliament and Press to see that it is not.
Some anxiety is already felt here at the announcement by Morocco Radio that Darlan’s successor is being chosen by the so-called Imperial Council set up by him – a pseudo-council which was, in fact, officially repudiated by Mr. Eden on behalf of the Government.
It is this aspect of the situation that gives rise in informed circles here to serious apprehension that, if the whole matter is left in the none-too-spotless hands of this council, even more befuddlement, at best, is likely to result.
In the absence of any expression of official opinion in London, it may be assumed that there will be no disagreement with President Roosevelt’s denunciation of the murder of Darlan.
THE MOTIVE
It is not yet known publicly just who the killer of Darlan was, or why he acted. The statement issued by General Bergeret, Darlan’s Adjutant-General, implies that the assassin had pro-Vichy and pro-Axis sympathies.
General Bergeret declared in effect that Darlan’s death was “inspired by those who would not pardon him for responding to the desire of the French people to free themselves from the Nazi yoke.” If this is confirmed the case is hardly comparable with what it would have been if Darlan had been killed by a French patriot. But it is important that the facts on this point be established clearly and impartially.
Until this full knowledge is available, attention is naturally centred on the future. Who will succeed Darlan?
Citation
“Algiers talks on Darlan's successor and chance to end muddle,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed July 22, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/21975.
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