DOUBT
JUNE 24 -- The French Preparatory Committee for the World Youth Festival has asked the International Preparatory Committee, whose headquarters is in Algiers, to transfer the festival from Algeria, where it was scheduled to be held July 28 to August 7, to
6m
another country as soon as possible,
According to the Italian Preparatory Committee, members of the International Preparatory Committee have been-arrested by the Boumedienne dictatorship. They have threatened to withdraw from the Festival if they are not released.
The Moroccan member of the International Preparatory Commi t= tee has left Algiers and gone home to Casablanca, ;
The Communist Youth Movement of France denounced Boumedi enne in today's issue of l'Humanité in violent terms and added : 7
"The Ninth Festival, prepared under the slogan of solidarity with the youth and the people of Algeria struggling for the socialist construction of the Democratic and Popular Algerian Republic, cannot be used to help Algerian reactionary elements, allies of imperialism, who have tried up to now to block the preparations for the Festival in Algeria."
Colonel Boumedienne is said to have. been unenthusiastic from the beginning about Ben Bella's idea of proposing Algeria as the host country for the Festival.