Without Alternatives

In his New Year's address to the nation last week, President Charles de Gaulle once again promised peace in Algeria. Within the year, he hinted, France would be cooperating with "a sovereign and independent Algerian state."

For his listeners, it was an old story. A year ago this month, 75% of the electorate of Metropolitan France thunderously voted yes to De Gaulle's plan of granting self-determination to Algeria. But, today, Algeria has neither peace nor self-determination. Worse, France itself resounds to the exploding bombs of the Secret Army Organization, which is dedicated to keeping Algeria French.

The Algerian question both menaces and ensures the stability of De Gaulle's regime. Such old pols as Antoine Pinay, Guy Mollet and ex-President Vincent Auriol are eager to take over control of the state--but not until the Algerian time bomb has either exploded under De Gaulle or been defused by him.

Aped Speeches. With their special talent for tearing things down without having any real alternatives to offer, the French all across the political spectrum were increasing their criticism of De Gaulle. One Henri Tisot has become the No. 1 comic of France simply by aping De Gaulle's speeches and changing only one or two words--calling for the "depigeonization" of Paris statues instead of the "decolonization" of French African territories. In the last six weeks, a book called The Court has sold 80,000 copies: it pictures De Gaulle as a bewigged monarch with a king-sized ego lording it over silk-stockinged, fawning courtiers.

The press, harried by censorship, grows bitter. The Roman Catholic Temoignage Chretien charges that De Gaulle "has managed the incredible tour de force of uniting against him irreconcilable enemies on the left and right." Last month, 15,000 Parisians--some but by no means all of them left-wingers--demonstrated against the S.A.O., but were brutally clubbed from the streets by police. In reply to protests, the Interior Ministry explained that the government's policy was to show suspicious French army officers that De Gaulle is as anti-Communist as they.

Counted Blessings. De Gaulle's personal popularity, once unquestioned, has obviously dropped over the past year. But, just as obviously, no one else's popularity has shown any startling rise. In his year-end speech, De Gaulle once again asked the French to count their Gaullist blessings--a far more stable government, far fewer strikes, etc.

The crucial question remained Algeria, and De Gaulle advanced an idea of how to deal with his army. He promised that in 1962 "the greater part" of the French armed forces will be regrouped and modernized in Europe. Of the estimated 400,000 troops in Algeria, two divisions have already returned to France; two more are scheduled to leave this month. De Gaulle's intention is clear: by getting the army out of Algeria, he hopes to keep it from being caught in the middle of civil strife, with only the option of slaughtering either rioting Moslem nationalists or European colons.

But as of last week, his plan of withdrawal only provoked more riots from the bitter ultras.

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