The Nationalization Craze

Twenty gun-toting cops burst into the offices of La Depeche d'Algerie, Algiers' leading French-language newspaper, ordered the 200 employees out within ten minutes. Simultaneously, out in the provinces police swooped on L'Echo d'Oran and La Depeche de Constantine. Thus last week, only days after formalizing his one-man, one-party rule (TIME, Sept. 20), Algerian Strongman Ahmed ben Bella seized his country's last three remaining French-owned newspapers. To Ben Bella they were dangerous relics of colonialism and tantalizing propaganda tools. Said he: "It is not enough to inform the masses. They must be politicized."

In Paris the De Gaulle government denounced the seizures as violations of French-Algerian accords, under which nationalization of French property is permitted only if Algeria gives notice and arranges to pay fair compensation. But it will apparently not be the last move against France's dwindling stake in Algeria. In a nationwide speech, Ben Bella announced that all additional French-owned property would be nationalized. His regime has already handed over to peasants some hundreds of thousands of acres expropriated from Frenchmen who have left the country, and it is spending $40 million in French aid to compensate them. But Ben Bella's new statement appeared to renege on earlier official assurances that small French farmers who stayed would not be bothered.

Pushing on down the road to socialism, Ben Bella nationalized two of Algiers' hotels, the Aletti and Albert Premier, along with two restaurants, a biscuit bakery and a cinema. The 150-room Aletti was turned over to a "management committee" of four employees; all its funds were blocked, and the government even held deposits left by guests in the hotel safe.

Bolstered by a rubber-stamp election ratifying his unopposed candidacy for a five-year term as President, the Algerian leader also appointed a new, 15-member Cabinet of "qualified militants." Most of the ministers are distinguished by their loyalty to Ben Bella; five represent the army, which is run by shadowy No. 2 man Colonel Houari Boumedienne. At week's end Ben Bella prepared to journey to the U.S., where he plans to address the U.N. and, he hopes, make an aid-seeking side visit to President Kennedy.

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