"LA FRANCE EST POURRIE"
167
came into contact just before the demonstration that the two groups dis–
covered they were working on the same lines. A regrouping of political
forces is taking place in Paris under the surface, crystallizing around the
idea of a national revolution against the Nazi conquerors. Within the
revolutionary left, also, drastic regroupings are going on, looking towards
a future canalizing of the anti-Nazi sentiment in the direction of a national
revolution led by the workingclass, and, ultimately, towards the only pos·
sible alternative to the present Nazi domination of France: her inclusion
in
a united movement in all the occupied countries towards a socialist
'United States of Europe.' The old reformist left parties have lost their
hold on the masses. The revolutionary groups feel they will have great
opportunities for leading a future national revolution against the Ger–
mans-if they can but grasp them.
Whatever the future holds, one thing is clear. Neither the reaction·
ary old men of Vichy nor the fascist 'collaborationists' in Paris are in a
position to lead such a movement. Their propaganda is strewn with
phrases about "la nouvelle revolution
Fran~aise"-not
since the Commune
has there been such a journalistic slinging about of the world "revolu–
tion"-but every one understands that whoever talks
in public
of revolu–
tion these days thereby writes himself down plainly as an ally of Hitler.
The real revolutionaries are those who keep silent.
2. rtLa France
Est
Pourrie!"
EDITORs' NOTE:
A fragment from the account of the expe–
riences of a German emigre journalist in the mass fiiglu from
Paris
at
the approach of the Germans.
The 14th of June we reached the neighborhood of Puiseaux in the
department of Loiret-it took us ten hours to cover twelve kilometers. On
the
way thousands of cars were being continually held up, mostly to clear
the
way for whole columns of autos in which sat officers with women,
luggage, and strikingly made-up girls, fleeing towards the Loire. To let
them
pass, the military police halted the columns of army trucks, artillery,
light armored cars, field kitchens, and civilians, pedestrians, bicyclists,
people pushing baby carriages.
On the road we had the following conversation with a young soldier
from one of the motorized sections:
Q:
Why are we stopping again?
A:
To let those over there
(the soldier pointed his thumb contemptuously
at
the officers' autos)
with their tarts
(avec leurs poules )
get away.
Q:
Suppose German planes begin shooting?
