Hull says critics of Africa events don’t have facts
Denounces as vicious the attacks made as parley was going on
Washington (UP) –
Secretary of State Hull today denounced critics of the administration foreign policy who, he said, poured out vicious and venomous comments while President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill were working on Allied war problems.
White House Secretary Stephen T. Early agreed during his morning press conference today that “subsequent chapters undoubtedly will be written” to the story of the Casablanca meeting. But he added that the story is complete “so far as it can be told at the present time.”
Hull’s remarks were made at a press conference in response to requests for comment on the fact that criticism of the State Department’s handling of North African affairs coincided with the Roosevelt-Churchill meeting in Casablanca.
Hull said that the people who believed the government to be in error should wait until they were in possession of the facts before making their attacks. He said he personally was content with the policies of the government.
Hull excoriates critics
Hull pointed out that the Roosevelt-Churchill meetings began on Jan. 14 and continued for some ten days.
The abuse that was poured out on the State Department became mast violent during the latter stages of that period, he said.
Hull said that the President was included in the attacks by implication, even if not actually mentioned by name.
We were told, Hull continued, by some persons up on Mount Olympus that we didn’t have people of sufficient stature in North Africa.
Actually, Hull said, there were two people of some stature there – Mr. Roosevelt and Churchill – and they were laboring day in and day out.
He said he believed that some of the critics did not want accurate Information on the situation.
Questioned about Peyrouton
He told reporters that he did not mean to speak in a carping spirit but that obviously some persons had not sought facts.
Hull was asked if it could be assumed that, since Marcel B. Peyrouton arrived in Algeria on Jan. 16, that his appointment as Governor had been approved by the group meeting in Casablanca. The Secretary replied that he thought the correspondents could form a very intelligent conclusion on that matter from the situation as it has been revealed.
Rapidly developing evidence that the full story of the Casablanca conference is far from completely told is catching the sensitive interest of this wartime capital.
There was quick enthusiasm here for the fact that President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill had met in North Africa. There was more than a touch of disappointment that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Premier Joseph Stalin had not been there, too.