World: Flood of Fear

Not hunger but fear last week drove Europeans by the thousands to flee their homes and jobs in Algeria. The refugees jammed the Algiers docks for ships bound for France. Laden with suitcases, blankets, heavy clothing, thousands of others rushed to Algiers airport, where French planes took off at the rate of nearly one an hour. Since April 1, nearly 50,000 Europeans have fled.

With full independence for a Moslem-run Algeria only weeks away, the country’s million Europeans are deservedly fearful of what the future may bring. The daily slaughter of Moslem men. women and children by ruthless S.A.O. gunmen continues; so far, the Moslems have not massively retaliated. But after the July 1 referendum, which is certain to be won by Algeria’s 9,000,000 Moslems, a bloodbath is feared. Said a refugee: “We heard reports that on the day after referendum, Moslems will sweep into the European parts of Algiers and kill everyone.” So great is the exit rush that even the S.A.O. has backed down from its unenforceable order that no European can leave Algeria without S.A.O. permission.

As reworded, the S.A.O. order now allows families—but not heads of families—to depart freely.

At Algiers’ Maison Blanche airport, hundreds camped out overnight in order to be first in the morning’s queue. A woman refugee offered her car for sale for $100 but found no takers. By week’s end, there were so many refugees and so much luggage crowded into the stifling waiting room that twelve women fainted and a mother with three children broke down in hysterics. Shocked by the scene, French repatriation officials declared the airport off limits to new refugees until the 4,500 already there could be flown out. In the next two weeks, to deal with the waiting list of 40,000, Air France Boeing 707s will fly a shuttle from Algiers to Paris, and two passenger ships a day will leave for ports on France’s Mediterranean coast. Said a departing Algiers refugee: “Our city is dying.”