The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-20

ing, whole cloud of proletarian organizations ap-
parenty peaceful for the time being, collected
Paris. In the sky of International politics there
gathered storm clouds too The French bourgeoisie
decided to create military police state The demo-
cratic compromise of the radical republic seemed
dangerous to it. This reactionary current flashing
thru the entire body Of capitalism even caused the
skeptics shortly before polished to perform the
most extraordinary antics. But Anatole France.
just because of the fneness of his culture proved
himself proof against these alterations His trained
healthy mind could not stand that unbearable non
sense with its lypocritic SAVIOUR which sounded from
the right. His skepticsm turned against the black
expanding reaction
Confused by its sudden onslaught Anatole France
searched after people who would be fit to defend
that highest culture of freedom, of polished scien-
tifc analysis. of luminous humanity which he con-
sidered the sole possible atmosphere for the thrv
ing Of a culture And then It appeared that the
uncouth writer wnom he considered dung
BEETLE wallowing in the dirt-Emile Zola-suddenly
became the heroic bearer of protest of the best
part of the petty bourgeois inteecuals in the strug
gle against the mtary-clerical eoanter-revoution
Thus was consummated the drawing-nearer of all
DTefusites of all those who struggled against France
sinking into a churchly barracklke night. Zola
Anatole France and Jaures became friends 1t is
pleasant and touching when after the abuse of the
young Anatoe France directed against lola one
reads the enthusiastic essays which the older Ana
tole France later dedicated to him, after he had
derstood how much warm upright, truthfuness how
much true loye-ofman was hidden in this heavy
genre-painter. Anatoe France began to examine
the latters artistic aspects too and whole
series of beauties hitherto hidden to him, revealed
themselves to his enthusiastic estheteeye. From
that tine IN ha heonmee tho hast fr;npd on5 90
worker of Jaures He participates most warmly in
the Dreyfus Campaign, and remains even later
faithful alEaef the socialism of the time certainly
quite feeble and compromising socialism, but still
far more noble than anything that the France of
that time could present His political labor, at
times, gives odd, should like to say abso
lutely touching impression. / remember for ex
ample enormous meeting at Trocadero where
from 1000 to 5000 citizens gathered in order to
protest against the first assault upon China against
that notorious campaign of the European Robber-
Knights which of its leaders, William II him
self, called march of the Huns Jaures spoke first;
his voice rang out like blare of trumpets; it rolled
to the most distant corners of the immense hail.
Following him, came the fine elegent old man, Ana
tole France and, in weak voice, read his venom
GUS remarks directed against the imperialsts And
the entire hall, packed full of workers. seemed to
die away: the buzzng of the flies was heard; all
leaned forward, almost all put their hands up to
their ears in order not to lose single word of what
this noble ally this unexpected guest from the far
heights of the elegant Parnasse was saying. With
mocking SMILE the speaker said: "As you know,
the unex9ressed international arrangement allows
the Chinese to defend themselves against modern
artillery at any rate, with porcelain cannons And
now these Chinese seriously begin to defend them
selves Such attack against civilization is simply
unforgivable. The yellows manifest patriotism!
They are inclined to defend their barbarous home
land from the claws of dear fatherlanders who
manifest the natural lust for nourishng themselves
with the flesh and blood of these low beings This
naughty people must be shown that civilization
deprives it of the right of resistance"
These words in Anatole France said with
his soft voice, but which loud enough to be
heard by the entire civilized world; it was then
that he called out the words so real nov: Hands
on Chinal"
In this period Of the Dreyfus affair up to the
Txyn~ IL WA hu4ffN-