RALLY POSTER; RALLY, PROF. KASTLER SPEAKING (SOF-FRENCH); M. BURON SPEAKING (SOF-FRENCH).




Initials PK/V/BOB/PC



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Background: A FRENCH ORGANISATION WHICH CALLS ITSELF FRANCE-BIAFRA HAS LAUNCHED AN APPEAL FOR FUNDS TO BE USED TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF THE BREAKAWAY EASTERN REGION OF NIGERIA, AND TO BRING AN END TO THE CIVIL WAR IN THE COUNTRY. THE APPEAL, PART OF A CAMPAIGN WHICH BEGAN LAST SUNDAY, WAS ANNOUNCED AT A RALLY IN PARIS YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY), BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISATION, M. ROBERT BURON, A FORMER MINISTER.

THE RALLY WAS ALSO ADDRESSED BY PROFESSOR ALFRED KASTLER, WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR PHYSICS IN 1966. THE PROFESSOR EXPRESSED SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF BIAFRA, WHOM HE SAID HAD BEEN DECIMATED FOR TWO YEARS.

M. BURON SAID FUNDS WOULD BE RAISED BY THE SALE OF 10 MILLION TICKETS AT 2 FRANCS (3/4D STERLING) EACH, IN A GIANT LOTTERY, WITH THE WINNER RECEIVING A PRIZE OF 500-THOUSAND FRANCS (GBP42,000 STERLING).

HE SAID THE FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN CALLED "TIERCE DU PETIT BIAFRAIS" - "THE TREBLE CHANCE BET OF THE LITTLE BIAFRANS" - TO EMPHASISE THE HORROR OF THE SITUATION IN NIGERIA.

M. BURON, SPEAKING IN FRENCH, SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE COMMON WILL SHOULD MANIFEST ITSELF TO BRING AN END TO WHAT HE TERMED THE GENOCIDE WHICH THREATENED A POPULATION AS LARGE AS THAT OF BELGIUM.

HE UNDERLINED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WESTERN POWERS AND THE SOVIETS ON THE ISSUE, SAYING THAT A BATTLE BETWEEN BOTH IDEOLOGIES WAS BEING CARRIED ON AS A BACKGROUND TO THE NIGERIAN WAR.

M. BURON SAID HE HOPED ALL FRENCH PEOPLE WOULD SIGN A PETITION BEING CIRCULATED BY THE FRANCE-BIAFRA ORGANISATION URGING PRESIDENT DE GAULLE AND THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE VERY URGENT MEASURES THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS TO BRING PEACE IN NIGERIA.