§ 5 and 6. Mr. G. Straussasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, (1) whether he is satisfied that the civil administration in North Africa is fully carrying out the requests made to it by the American and British Governments shortly after the allied landing, in regard to the revoking of Fascist laws and decrees and the release of anti-Fascist prisoners;
(2) whether he can now give any further figures in regard to the release of anti-Fascist prisoners, including ex-members of the International Brigade, in North Africa?
§ Mr. EdenThe French member of the Mixed Commission on political prisoners reported to the Commission on 3rd February that 903 prisoners of all types had been released in French Morocco by the unilateral action of the French authorities and that 1,442 remained in detention, of whom a detailed list was being handed over to the lawyers appointed to investigate individual cases. He also reported that 3,965 prisoners remained in detention in Algeria, but that this number included many offenders against ordinary criminal law as well as strictly political prisoners. He said that the French authorities were proceeding to release many of these on their own account, as they had done in Morocco, and would supply full details to the Commission of those who remained in detention with a view to the examination of individual cases. My hon. Friend may have noticed that the statement issued by General Giraud's headquarters on 6th February declared that the policy of releasing individual internees would be continued extensively and that the case of any internee who asked to rejoin a 1290 fighting unit would be immediately examined.
As regards the revocation of measures inspired by Fascist ideologies, my hon. Friend will have read General Giraud's statement of 29th January to the effect that he had studied racialism and its legislative application in Germany too deeply to approve it, and that he proposed to proceed progressively and methodically to the reversal of such legislation in North Africa. General Giraud's War Council on 6th February confirmed the restoration of Jewish property and the access of Jewish children to primary and secondary schools and declared that other measures were being studied.
§ Mr. StraussArising out of that reply, particularly in reference to General Giraud's statement, can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the abrogation of Fascist laws will not be considered as purely a French matter in this area, but that the application of the principles of the Atlantic Charter will be a matter for the United Nations and their responsibility as a whole?
§ Mr. EdenI think that my hon. Friend will agree that the answer I have given and General Giraud's statement will show that considerable progress has been made in the last few weeks. I know that our Minister Resident in Algiers is in touch with the French authorities on this matter.
§ Mr. GallacherCan the right hon. Gentleman now say that the 27 Communist Deputies have been released?
§ Mr. StraussCan the right hon. Gentleman comment on the statement issued yesterday by General de Gaulle that there are 15,000 Frenchmen who are his supporters interned?
§ Mr. EdenI have given the information which came from our Minister in Algiers, and I am certain that the information, as far as he can possibly check it, is correct.