The French Agreements
The signing of agreements by Mr. Eden and M. Massigli, French Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, and by General Eisenhower and General Koenig, gives formal sanction to measures which have been, and are being, taken in France by Frenchmen and Allied commanders in perfect co-operation. Facts ham completely dis- pelled any doubts which the Americans may have d as to whether General de Gaulle and the French authorities at Algiers would be fully acceptable to the people of France. It is now completely clear that there is one, and only one, authority qualified to assume the task of a Provisional government, and that is the body of French patriots who r*grilse the leadership of General de Gaulle. Though General Eisen-
hower, under the agreements, retains as Supreme Allied Commander whatever authority he considers necessary for the conduct of mili- tary operations, he deals with the Provisional Government now in Paris as the de facto authority in France ; in practice already the Allies have been able to hand over the civil administration behind the lines to Frenchmen with perfectly satisfactory results, and in doing so have been relieved of responsibilities which, on any other procedure, would have been irksome. The Allied commanders are now free to attend to military duties, leaving the civil administration to Frenchmen. Up to now the chief anxiety on both sides has been to be of service the one to the other. It is wisely agreed that the French are to issue and control their own currency, and provision has been made for the disposal of war material, the distribution of relief, and similar matters. Before the invasion progress towards agreement went slowly, but, thanks to Mr. Eden's pertinacity, never • ceased ; and the confidence he showed has been abundantly justified by the smoothness of co-operation in liberated France.
