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De Gaulle warned the Europeans—who are certain to vote against him—that the "new" Algeria could not be built without their help and the help of France. But De Gaulle's special appeal was to the army, which could rig next month's election against him if it chose, intimidate Moslems into abstaining or voting no. Addressing the officers of the garrison, he again spoke of the "new" Algeria, which "must be herself, otherwise—and you know this only too well—she will sever all her links with France." He set two tasks for the army: "First of all, to prevent things going badly from the security point of view, which has not yet been completed. Second, fraternity [with the
Moslems], which has scarcely begun. I count on you all to help me."
Dismayed Enemies. At week's end. De Gaulle had sailed as safely through the political storms as through the rain and hail of Algerian weather—though he had stayed out of Algeria's biggest cities. In Paris, his right-wing opponents in the Assembly were reduced to hand-wringing pleas (''the motherland cannot abandon its sons!"). There were only three leaders with the dynamism to rally the European extremists of Algiers—General Raoul Sa-lan, fiery Pierre Lagaillarde and Jacques Soustelle. once both a Cabinet member and close friend of De Gaulle. Not one of them was in either Algeria or France. General Salan has been sulking in Spain for six weeks. Young, red-bearded Pierre Lagaillarde, given "provisional liberty'' by the military tribunal trying him for his part in last January's insurrection in Algiers, fled to Spain last week, asking for political asylum. His friends in Algiers were dismayed. "I can't understand what came over Pierre," moaned one. "His trial was going so well!" Jacques Soustelle, the most dangerous man of all and De Gaulle's most gifted opponent, curiously chose last week to visit the U.S., where he answered newsmen's questions with despairing shrugs.
Serene Salaud. On De Gaulle's arrival in Algeria, rioters surged through Algiers and Oran, but were easily contained by helmeted police using tear-gas bombs and "defensive" grenades, which explode with a loud noise but do little damage. Some diehards built a barricade in Algiers' Rue Michelet. This time the army did not stand idly by—two tanks clanked forward and shattered the feeble rampart of bed springs, paving stones and garbage cans.
But next day the mob came back for more. From balconies and rooftops, demonstrators showered roof tiles and bricks on the advancing lines of police. Leather-jacketed young men hurled Molotov cocktails, which burst into flowers of orange flame and clouds of oily smoke. In a doorway a young girl, her eyes streaming from tear gas, screamed at the police: "Executioners!" Dangerous but disorganized the mob fought furiously, but with an aimless fury born of frustration.