UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 28 Date 12/06/2006 Time 2:11:31 PM S-0882-0001-28-00001 Expanded Number S-0882-0001-28-00001 Title items-in-France - resignation of Degaulle Dafe Created 24/04/1969 Record Type Archival Item Container S-0882-0001: Correspondence Files of the Secretary-General: U Thant: with Heads of State, Governments, Permanent Representatives and Observers to the United Nations Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit KEW YORK TIMES, Thursday, 24 April 1969 on Bids Voters Back de Gaulle} By HENRY TANNER leading opinion samplers. It will the weekend indicated an evenj Sp.eclal to The New Yorfc Times be published in the late editions split between "Yes" and "No." PARIS, April 23 — Former of Le Figaro tomorrow. Mr. Pompidou's effect on the Premier Georges Pompidou, in The poll is understood to. put campaign is viewed as double- a televised, appeal to the nar the vote qf the opposition at|edged. As a Gaullist cam- ti6n tonight, urged a "yes" about 53 per cent against 47 paigner calling for a large vote in the referendum Sunday per cent for the Government, "Yes" vote, he is one of the with a large segment of the Government's best assets. in the the name of "common But as a potential Presiden- sense" and "fidelity to General electorate, however still un- tial candidate, he is .believed to de Gaulle." decided or intending to cast be cutting into the Gaullist's The voters ^a're being asked 'blank ballots. The poll was strength. A good many voters to approve constitutional re- taken Monday and Tuesday. 'are saying that they may be If accurate,-it means a dra- tempted. to vote "No" and thus forms creating new regional to hasten General de Gaulle's governmental organizations matic reversal for the Govern- exit, because the reassuring and transforming of the Senate ment. A poll published Saturday figure of Mr. Pompidou is wait- into a consultative assembly. had put the "Yes" vote at 52 ing in the background. But in fact the voters . will|per cent,_ and • the "No" vote Mr. Pompidou will speak cast their ballots for or against at 48. Private Government re- again tomorrow,, at, a; rally in President de Gaulle, 'who-, an- ports from the provinces over Lyons. ./£«'^"O''^--.'/"•:>-•'"" nounced 10' days ago he would retire ^if the reforms were re- jected. Polls since then, have shown that his leaving or stay- tog! has become the only real issues in the minds of most Voters. Mr. Pompidou impressed those'Who watched him; tonight as a remarkably skilled cam-: paigner, and, his. contribution to the Gaullist campaign was thought to have. been highly •effective. ; '.'.••' ' .'-,.. Mr. Pompidou, an avowed •candidate for the Presidency in •Gaulle era, did. not refuse to NEW YORK TIMES, Friday, 25 April 1969 lost nd. General] ..__,. ,_,.,_,. _„,_,-__ down. The former'Premier has been under touve strong pressure; from the 1Gaul- ylist ..leadership :: to' make such WGaullistsinVoie .' a statement.;-::; :' •';••• .'if£ 1 His contribution to the. cam-. WonldPerilFrance •paign:came a_t a crucial moment. For the first time,/a public! opinion poll showed the Gov- By HENRY TANNER ernment trailing.. -The poll-is>by Special to The New York Times ;j;St}fres,v: one of ^ie^clijjuitr'y's. PARIS, April 24—The princi- ...But- Alain Poher-,-; the pal speakers for the Gaullist dent of the Senate, declared regime and for the opposition to- himself a guarantor • of peace .and order in the country in day reflected expectations of a the case of an opposition vic- close^•-.outcome in Sunday's tory and declared .that.'lie /and referendum by focusing their his colleagues hadrfull trust in campaign on the possible con- the institutions of the country sequences of a Government de- and the patriotism of their feat. countrymen. Mr. Poher would become in- Premier Maurice Couve de terim President if President de Murville devoted'most of his Gaulle stepped down:from the last, nationwide television ad- presidency,; as he has said he dress before the voting to a will':'dd' if the: Gpyernment's proposal for-Constitutional re- warning that an opposition, vic- form is rejected..;: ••.•'. .. tory would-be followedi by a' Tonight marjsed the end of "period of adventures" and the the official campaign on the rise of the "totaUtai-ians: Goyernment-ttv^hed.^ television' the left. "-''" .**; . netwoVk. *"' ' •' '" ~c . '• The referendum asks the vot- President de Gaulle will ad- ro...•*«-: --'---JJ*-''••••-' ' •- • ' dress the nation on tele'visipn i'ttpnjorrojv. :;His;,address:Jsjiiib shtal ;prganizatr6fls7an ; .,._. .. , ainf •""- " ' ""*•" ;d ifie"'Gatillistg;; "consultative L NEW YORK TIMES, Saturday, 26 April 1969 .-.'.o- ' •'.-f. -d e Gaulle''- •-.•-s Appea. t l ti*-*o Natio* V n PARIS, April 25 (AP) — a majority of you, solemnly/- - siori pf each one of you Following, in unofficial trans- . on'this capital subject, and''.^weighed: ;so heavily, lotion, is a transcript of the •whatever might be the num;:i;fc -YiveJa Repubilque! Viveja address delivered by President . ber, the ardor and the devo-:; a"'ce' ' .'•••••' '•• • de,Gaulle on radio and tele- tion of. the army of those • vision tonight.' who support me and who, in Frenchwomen, Frenchmen: any case, hold the futufei of You; to, whom I have!so ; the country, my- present task' of ten;,spoken for. France, you as chief of state'" would :ob-, must ,know .that your reply viously become .impossible, Sunday is gpirig to determine I would immediately stop ex- her ..dei-itiriy because first of': ercising my functions. '. ^liv.ItVXs 'fc.question ';pf bring- j • jThen, how; woulji be 'rrias-. ing 'a very /"considerable tered the situation • resulting change, to the: structure .of from the negative victory.of : v pur "country. .,--. '-'-: ;'.; .'. ,ali: these diverse, disparate - It is a,great thing to bring '. and. discordant oppositions, about the rebirth of our old with, the inevitable return, to provinces, improved for mod- the: play .bT'.'ambitions, illu- ern times, under the form : of sions, machinations arid trea- regions: to give them the;nev son in the nation connection cessary means for each one that such a rupture would to settle its own affairs while : provoke? at the same time playing its Would 'Carry put Mandate' role in our national whole; to make centers where initia- On the contrary, if I receive tive, activity and life plos-r proof of. your confidence, I som. y . .... will carry out my mandate, I •It is a; great thing ,to .re- will carry out, thanks to. you, unite the Senate and' the "through the creation ';of the Economic and Social Council •regions arid, the renovation in a single assembly, deliber-' of .the'.Senate, the work un- ating with priority and.pub- dertaken 10 years ago to give licly: all :bills instead of, each our country the democratic one* on its ~own,: being're- institutions adapted to our duced to obscure arid acces- people, in .the world where sory interventions. .;. •; we find ourselves and at the ' It is•'a /great thing to as-' time when we are living, after sociate the representation of the confusion, the troubles productive: activities land the and the misfortunes that we vital-force of our people; with. have passed through!for gen- : all the local and legislative erations, i measures concerning its ex- ..''• I will continue, with your istence and; its development. support; to act so that, what- 'Destiny of France' at Stake ever happens-, progress should Your reply'is going to de- be developed, order assured, termine the destiny of France > the money defended, inde- because that reform is an in- pendence maintained, .peace tegral: part of the participa- safeguarded, and France re- tion which the equilibrium of spepted. ',:••''"•' modern' society henceforth Ultimately, at the end of demands. • the regular term, without r To refuse jit >is to oppose— rupture and upheaval [I in an essential domain—:this shall] turn, the last page of social, moral, human trans- the chapter that I started in. formationi without which we .our history .some 30 years will go to disastrous upheav- : ago. [and] I shall hand over als. '•'; • - ''; .,•'.••.-'•;' ••' - •'••••'m.y official charge to the man '• To adopt it is: to make ;a: whom you will have chosen :decisive :>step on .."the road to carry it after me. ;which would lead us to prog- Erericliyrarnen,; 'Frenohmen, ress in.order and agreement, ', in what is::going to.become of in profoundly modifying the relations among Fren'ch'peo- ple. ~ Your reply is going to de- termine the destiny; of France &i<g^-£' HEW YORK TIMES, Saturday, 26 April 1969 .,-.,, -v-iw^i^a^^sfe^psssi ^•^•^^:W?^M^^W^f "3chosen^ • j$$<$^tt~x&$$; to; carry at afte&r me; In' conclusion he . said: "Never has the ^decision of each one of you' weighed so heavily." ./.;.;, . ; No Hint of Succession The.general had;never-before stated clearly that he would retire-at the end of his seven- In TV Appeal on Tomorrow's year mandate, which ends in Ballot, He Restates Intent 1972; He had also avoided giv- ing .any hint of whether he to Quit if Reforms Fail would throw his personal sup- port to an'lieir apparent" !of jhis choosing. : : MANY ARE UNDECIDED Several ministers are reported to have urged him to make a reference.to the issue of suc- Latest Poll Puts President ,cession. ,-'••. „' •,.;. ..'.-'-•' '.' 6 The President, stressed each Behind, but Final Speech syllable of the two words wKeri Is Expected to Help Him he said that it was "obviously; impossible" for him to; stay! in office if he was .disavowed ; by a majority of the voters.-•- -: '' The text o/ de Gaulle speech :;/Any opposition victory, ,he- .