ALGERIA: Vanishing Idols

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Until Charles de Gaulle came to power, the 1,500,000 French soldiers and settlers of Algeria had stood shoulder to shoulder against Paris, united by their common contempt for the fumbling politicians of the Fourth Republic. Last week, deprived of their one common bond, the men of Algiers turned to intramural intrigue.

The politically naive balcony generals seemed merely confused by events, but diehards on the 72-man insurgent junta in Algiers were plainly disenchanted by De Gaulle. They were angered by his insistence that the insurrectionary Public Safety Committees must get out of politics, and by his refusal to endorse their plan for complete integration of Algeria into France. They were alarmed by the report that, as a gesture to Morocco's King Mohammed V, De Gaulle was trying to find a graceful way to release Rebel Chieftain Mohammed ben Bella, whom the French had kidnaped off a Moroccan plane late in 1956 (TIME, Nov. 5, 1956).

Early last week, determined to get power back into their own hands, the die-hards prepared a parliamentary mousetrap for Paratroop General Jacques Massu, who had pledged his soldierly loyalty to De Gaulle on De Gaulle's visit to Algiers a fortnight ago. By careful prearrangement, a decoy faction among the diehards noisily proposed that the junta adopt a resolution denouncing De Gaulle and all his works. When Massu, as co-president of the junta, protested, the remainder of the diehards introduced a "moderate" counter-resolution. And when the decoy faction grumblingly accepted the second resolution, Massu was convinced that he had achieved a great compromise. In no time at all the committee got the approval of General Raoul Salan, De Gaulle's vacillating Delegate General in Algiers, and forwarded the resolution to Paris.

Typing Trouble. In Paris the junta's resolution was seen for what it was: open defiance of De Gaulle's authority. Deliberately misinterpreting De Gaulle's speeches, the junta expressed its delight "at having been able to obtain the promise of total integration of Algeria into Metropolitan France." In an excess of arrogance, the resolution went on to demand "the disappearance" of political parties in France, and the formation of "a genuine government of public safety."

Scarcely had this extraordinary document arrived in his office in the Hotel de Matignon when De Gaulle got on the phone to General Salan. "Did you approve this manifesto?" barked De Gaulle. Dodging desperately, Salan replied that he had only transmitted it.

"Did you approve it—yes or no?" insisted De Gaulle. "No," squeaked Salan—whose office promptly put out the explanation that the fact that Salan's signature appeared on the manifesto was the result of a typing error.

"I will make that known," snapped De Gaulle—and promptly released the text of a telegram that he had sent to Salan: "Concerning the annoying and untimely incident caused by the peremptory motion of the Committee of Public Safety of Algiers, I remind you that this committee has no other rights and role than to express, under your control, the opinions of its members."