Evening star., 1915-05-16
THE FRENCH PRESS IN THE WAR

The attitude OF the French press in
the present war is particularly inter
esting. Prior to the war
United by II was apparently hope
uo.+;,;+;.. lessly divided and its
sudden unity and accord
through the bugle call to war is little
less than a phenomenon. NJ. Alfred
Capus Of the French academy. editor
OF the Figaro, has treated the subject
in an address made before the Societe
des Conferences.
1T will be impossible" says NJ. Ca
pus. ito write the history of the war of
1914 without mention OF the role of the
French press. 1t Is the first time the
phenomenon has happened. Until now
the press was limited even in the wars
Of the Balkans to register the opera
tions. comment upon them and draw po-
litical or military conclusions: it did
not act for itself: 1t was not engaged
in the action. In the war Of 1914. on
! tho contrary. from its beginning, the
press was seized by the events and
held as in wise; it has not been sep
arated from the events. but it has been
made a part and parcel Of them"
press. as it were, by the neck" and
placed 1t on guard. 1t was made re-
sponsible for public opinion. which was
a vital factor.
The press OF France, as we have said.
was full of discord and divided against
itself. 1t was told that it was expect
ed to aid in the task of winning the
victory over the enemy. over his army.
his commerce. industry. philosophy and
literature.
rho nro,, .h,. ,.,, ,ooyartad n,
government into a machine with the
view of teaching the public the inn
placable necessity of unity and effort
| and that no activity was to be left un-
| tried. Everything was put In the game
every one was to play the game for
himself and for the country with the
device: "All for all; all or nothing
Defeat was not one OF those famous
disasters suffered at Waterloo and
Sedan; defeat for France meant a cata-
clysm without name and chaos; defeat
was for every .Frenchman the impossi-
bility of living. his conscience and his
| reason being plunged into perpetual
night This was the message of gov
ernment to the press. In turn the press
would cause the people to comprehend
that the war was something altogether
new: that above all 1t was indispens-
able that a country so divided by po-
litical discussion should cease to be
political.
*
M. Capus does not refer to the politi.
| cal situation in France and the fierce
antagonisms engendered
UlScord between parties and the
vaor Aro elections in the early
Aear ago. part Of 1914, which had
| resulted in turning the government,
| over to the radicals and socialists, to
| such men, indeed. as Caillaux and
Jaures. The anti-militarists and pa
cifists were in the ascendency; there
was opposition to the military law OF
| three years, resistance to the military
defense of the country and. finally, the
assassination of NJ Calmette. In August
| 1914. all these things were forgotten
| the press and the people were united
| for the country. A miracle had been ac-
complished by the press.
We may refer just here to the opin.
ion of foreign writer. an English
| man Of authority. who wrote in the
Nineteenth Century under the title
The Decline of the French Republic
The author declared that the fall oi
| the Barthou cabinet confirmed all that
had been written about the instabilit.
of the republican regime, the impo.
tency of the president, the incompati.
| bility between the republic and the ma
| tional defense and the lack of conference
in parliament. And the author con.
cluded. The republic must choose be-
tween revolution and reaction"
In August there was neither revolu-
ton nor reaction. In the presence OF
the storm of war party dissensfons
were hushed. and militarism and
magic. The press promptly came to the
front, and. dropping all reference to
past dissensions. created the impress
sion that II Frenchmen had disputed
or even hated each other it was only a
form of pastime which might deceive
the foreigner. but, in fact, France
united France-was waiting the COM
ing of her enemies.
NJ. Capus does not pretend to write
the history of the press in the war OF
1914: that can only be done after the
war. For the moment he makes only
some sketches which may prove inter
esting as an indication Of the evolution
Of events which will have marked
place in history. In these events there
should be mentioned the erection of a
military censorship, the exodus of gov
ernment and press to Bordeaux. the re-
turn to Paris after the brilliant victory
of the Marne. the creation of politi-
cal censorship, which in conjunction
with the military censorship deprived
the press, for a time, of almost all it's
liberty.
x ):
The morning after the declaration of
war the directors of all the journals
of Paris were convoked
ConYocation at the Elysee. There re-
publicans of all colors.
VI GuAIoAs. socialists, pacifists, anti
miIitarists, anarchists. reacttonists and
ecclesiastics assembled. In that entire
assemblage of the representatives of
the press of France there was unity Of
sentiment, the sentiment Of the preserva-
ton of the country
NJ. Messimy was minister of war. He
was nervous. 1t was clear. Events had
happened as a "bolt from the blue
France had not expected war. and
many in that motley assemblage had
been almost flercely pacifist and re-
fused government the means OF pre-
pairing for war. In spite Of these OBJ
stacles government had maintained an
organization and the army was strong
and capable Of facing any test with
confidence The emotion of NJ. Messimy
vas nevertheless natural News mad
been received of the first encounter IN
the vosges, and the die of war was
cast. , T