REVOLUTIONARIES NOW PATRIOTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 4

REVOLUTIONARIES NOW PATRIOTS

ALL FRANCE UNITED FOR WAR,. Of the- various surprises which the Germans have -met at the beginning of the war not the least is the sudden'and tdtal disappearance of all those Revolutionaries and anti-militarists who in the past proclaimed eo loudly their intention ■of impeding mobilisation by sabotage and every other means in their power and of making war impossible by a general strike. The Germans are not the only foreigners who have attached 'an exaggerated importance to Revolutionary Syndicalism and kindred movements, and there is little doubt that they expected that the French authorities would have no small trouble, particularly in the large towns, with the anti-militarists. . , Everyone who knows France well/ and has studied her history closely during the last few years, realised how superficial these movements were. The antimUitariste were surprisingly military in their mothods and extremely fond of proving their pacific convictions by fighting the police. M. Gustave'Herve, himself their recognised leader, who spent nearly, half his time in prison, waa familiarly called "The General." ■• Most Frenchmen believed that at the outbreak of war a number of Revolutionaries would be arrested and shot, und that then the mobilisation would bo able to go on smoothly.; But no such dosperato measures have been necessary. The 'Frenchman has one real religion deeply rooted in his heart, the cult of "fa patrie," and once an appeal was made to that sentiment the anti-militarist not merely laid aside all his' hatred for the Government, but aotually became the most ardent and warlike of patriots. To-dayc-J'.reJichmen are,,,described by the "Morning Post" correspondent aa vying with one another to show that all distinctions of policy and opinion are forgotten. Several newspapers have ceased to appear, owing to the shortago of paper and the departure of theitstaffs for the front, but "La Guerre Sociale," M. Herve's organ, and "La Bataillo Syndicalister' , which was always trembling on the verge of bankruptcy, continue to be published. These papers, which are widely sold in the poorer quarters, are doing everything in their power to assist ■ the Government in encouraging a calm and patriotic attitude and in maintaining order in Paris. Not a single word in opposition to the war is being published anywhere, and not a voice has been raised ugainst it. The only difference to-day between the Nationalist and Revolutionary, papers is that the Revolutionary writers insist with greater emphasis on the important of treating foreigners, even though they belong to a hostile nation, with kindness and courtesy.- ■ The newspaper situation in Paris ia considerably strained in some cases, but booming in others. Only the, "Ecno da Paris" continues to publish in its normal size and shape; some of the moming dailies cling to four pages, but tho others are down to broadsheets. The usual afternoon and evening journals, which were little better than broadsheets at the best of times, are now about the size of an ordinary' quarto sheet. But they are making money, for there is nothing in them but the official communiques, which cost nothing, aad they sell by hundreds of thousands. The temptation has called forth sundry ' pirate" sheets. For instance, on August o,' the "Evening Star" made its appearance oh the boulevards, printed entirely in English, but containing, apart from tho official news, merely blocks lifted from the English papers—duly credited to their source, however. The new journal seems to be of French parentage.