Racing the Clock

President Charles de Gaulle's talk of an "Algerian republic" angered Algeria's European extremists, distressed many Frenchmen and left the Moslem rebels unimpressed. But it made one major convert: Habib Bourguiba, 57, President of Tunisia, who in a fit of exasperation last October welcomed Communist aid to the F.L.N. rebels. Last week Bourguiba was hailing De Gaulle's proposal as a "big step forward" and using his impressive behind-the-scenes talents to persuade the

F.L.N. to give De Gaulle a final chance.

Bourguiba is busily rounding up support among the new African states to the south (pointedly omitting left-leaning Ghana and Guinea) to go easy on France in this week's Algerian debate at the U.N. Bourguiba's argument: if De Gaulle gets his expected large majority in the Jan. 8 referendum and deals firmly with the threat of violence from the European extremists in Algeria, the way will then be open for Bourguiba and his allies to act as neutral observers in Algeria's eventual vote on self-determination, thus giving the F.L.N. rebels "serious guarantees" that it will be a fair referendum. Then the F.L.N. could achieve power by peaceful political process. Explained a Tunisian official: "If De Gaulle's latest behavior reflects a sincere desire to decolonize Algeria--and we think it does--there will soon be no point in the F.L.N.'s carrying on a shooting war or receiving massive military aid from the Communists."

Hot Opposition. It was now up to De Gaulle himself to put his prestige on the line again. This week he will go to Algeria to explain his policies to the French army and the hostile European colons, who are already talking of demonstrations.

Maybe some European colons might mull over the news from Morocco next door. After dodging French naval patrols, the Communist freighter Bulgaria docked at the Moroccan harbor of Tangier, unloaded 3,400 tons of arms, including 14,000 rifles and automatic weapons, which were promptly shipped to the town of Oudjda near the Algerian border. Though the Moroccans last week insisted that the arms were for their own use, French intelligence agents believe the shipment was paid for by Red China. If so, it is the first tangible result of the recent visit of F.L.N. Chief Ferhat Abbas to Peking.

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