NUCLEAR TEST IN THE
On March 1°, one year to the day after the Ivian cease-fire
ement was sicned, the I'rench government exploded a nuclear
ice in the Sahara; that is, on the territory of Alreria.
4 he Prench covernment soucht ta justify this violation of
terian sovereirnty by citing a clause in the iovien opreenment
ting them the ric¢ht to use certain military boses in the Sahara: SGr another five yoars. The acreenents say nothing, however, about fitelear tests. ‘
‘Protesting the crime o;ainst humanity which was comnitted on | ite territory only bosause the country is still weak,-the Alrerian government called an emergency session of tho National Assembly. It hos .now officially told the French covernment that it wante a _ yvevision of the military slauses in the Ovian acreements.
tn Aigiers students organised angry demonstrations to oreniatie. the violation of Alcerian sovereignty and the staging of a nuclear ~ test. Ben Bella spoke to the demonstrators, telling them that government shored thoir indicnotion. However he asked then not attaa): Suropeans who -now constitute but a snail enemas of the . POMIa tons
iieny othor ‘Afriean. covernnents have also protested aunties the French test.
Why did the Trench government nalke this nove which orosses ites ceneral policy of "so-operation" with Alcerio in the most eunninc and flexible way? Fro ably the French military command, in a hurry to build the “force de frappe" which de Gaulle wante, cerried it out for immodiate practical roasons. They have said that they plan to shift the sceno of tostinc; to an ioland in the Pacific. . RSLAN_anrMucteAnieAPOrS 1AROH Is BIG SUCCESS
- BRUSSELS, iarch 25 -— Gone 15,000 people participceted yesterday in an antinuc lear-weapons march through the strects of the capital, The domonstration was organized by a joint comrittee of youth organizations, The Socialist and Comrunist youth played a proninent part in bringing, torether a wide spectrum of CPOUPE» ; ineluding sone Catholic youth orcanizations.
She sise of tho march camo as o complete s 66 to the public, <A maroh in 1960 broucht out 4, participants. Although no one openly opposed or condemned the project, the nevspapers of mass oireulation naintained silence about it and the big political partion jegned. in the omapieacy to. aed it E by. saying, nobing. about to
As in tho Aldermooton march in Dritain, ‘the creat majors of denonstrators were young people. Unlike the British sarch, this one manifested a more political and militant character. The main si wero: "No nuclear weapons in celgium!* “Ho nuclear. weapons for the Volgian arned forces"
These slogans vere in airoct opposition to government policy. The Belgian minister of defense admitted early this year that nuclear weapons will be stockpiled for o wing of the Belgian eir ferce, The weapons are to include rockets vith nuelear heads,
The Delgian section of tho Fourth International dintributed 5,000 leaflets to the marchers. The Trotskyists cave full: support to the march but appealed to the marchers to merge their efforts with the ral struggle of the left wing of the lebor movement for socialism, “Only the: overthrow of werld capitalisn will put a definite end to the dearer of nuclear annihilation,” ‘the leaflet concluded.