The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-26


History has already nailed its exterminatOrs to
that eternal pill ry from which all the prayers of
their priests will not avail to redeem them
THE e words of Karl Marx-n fact the whole his
tory of the Paris Communicated the mind
as one stands before "The Red Wall" dedicated to the
maryred dead of the revolutionary struggle of March
1s-May Is, 1871, in the capital city Of France
"rhe Red Wall" is to be found in the Cimetiere Pere
Lachaise he largest and most interesting of Partisan
burial grounds.I
It was not mentioned in any of the Guide Books
to Paris" that I The sightseeing auto buses do
not go that way Open confession that the revolution
airy efforts of the French proearat not supposed
to interest the American tourist
"Pere Lachaise" or 1.-THE Cmetere de rEst," is named
after Lachas the Jesuit COMPRESSOR of Louis XIV, who
had a country seat here. In 1904 the property
bought by the city and converted into cemetery. 1t
has since been greatly extended and now covers an
area of 100 acres.
The attendant at the main gate shows map of
the cemetery with all of its lanes and pathways, be-
tween graves and tombs all named follow his finger
the map until it to the far of the
cemetery where "The Red Wall" is marked with the
French words, MUIR Des Federes"
Never had | a cemetery quite like this, The
tombs close together that there room for
no blade of grass between. 1t all continuous
of stone, marble, brick granite, vast tomb
completely deserted except for occasional aged
that passed Even these seemed to have wandered in
if they had no other place to go.
might have passed "The Red Wall" by if nearly
hundred giant wreaths had been hanging there upon
its face attracting me. "The Red Wal is part of the
wall of the cemetery itself, but not high 1t is small
indeed when compared to the mighty "Red Wall" of the
Kremlin, in Moscow. The Red WalP erected to the
memory of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg and
the hosts of other revolutionary dead in Berlin, Ger
many, is more monumental.
But in Moscow and Berlin forgets about ply
steal proportions of bricks piled bricks in the
DRY of the mighty proetaran sacrifices that made
$4,000 dead men, women and children, slaughtered by
the reaction, in the final week of the Paris Commune
May 21-28, 1871. The huge tablet the Wall merely
says:
AUX Morris De La Commune 21-2s Mai 1871"
The scores of wreaths upon the Wall must have been
there since the last anniversary commemoraton of the
Commune, March IS, date blazened red the work
ing class calendar in every country in the world.
There wreaths of workers of different nation
ates, from Chinese workers, Jewish workers, Italian
workers The last of these include many exies from
fascist Italy who have settled in France There
wreaths with the Hammer and Sickle" of the Soviet
Revolution; wreaths carrying message of solidarity
with the Chinese Revolution; wreaths of many trade
unions of Paris.
These wreaths the passing tributes of labors
eternal solidarity with the Paris Communes martyred
dead. 1t is of these that Karl Marx in writing to
Kugelmann, shortly after the uprising, said
&c. What elasticity, what historical initiative, what
capabilities of sefsacrfce there in these Parsians
After six months of starvation and destruction by in
ternal treason than by the external enemy,
they RISE under Prussian bayonets tho existed
between France and Germany and the enemy did not
stand before the doors of Pars History has similar
example of such greatness!"
Over the other side of the wall there thunder and
rattle the modern implements of industry in the hands
of metal workers in huge machine shop. The prole-
tariat grows in power in France, in the developing
chine age the heirs of the Commune
Some of the graves near the Wall are also of great
interest Here is the tomb of Gustave Lefrancais
Der of the Commune of Paris Henri Mortier another
member of the Commune 84394); also Pascal Faberot
Deputy de la Seine, 1833-1908
There is the double grave of Paul and Laura La
Fargue, who committed suicide in 1912.
After writing such works as "The Religion of Capt.
talsm" Social and Philosophical Studies "The Origin
and Idea of God" and "The Evolution of Property"
which placed him in the forefront of the revolutionary
writers of his day, LaFargue is said to have become
discouraged in the struggle and decided escape
thru suicide with his Wife, Laura of the three daugh
ters of Karl Marx. Their grave is already neglected
It could only boast viewed it, small bouquet of
artificial vioets Great contrast this their surrender
death compared to the courageous will to struggle of
the Communards, who lived defantly to the last, until
their lives shot of them by enemy class bullets
they stood against this wall only few feet away
Near the outer cemetery wall is the monument Gle
Muir" by Moreau Vauther 1909) dedicated to the men,
DRY of the victims of the revolutions.
One may also find some interest in the others who
are buried here: historians and actors, artists and
thors princes and painters, generals and poets for
anyone may purchase here plot for the dead 1t in
cudes the Jewish Cemetery where the grave of Rachel
(1821-53) is to be found. There the graves of
Rosa Bonheur (1822-99 the painter Frederic Chopin
GS10-49) the composer; Adolphe Theirs (1797-1877)
president of the republic; Corot (17961875) the paint
err; Sarah Bernhard disabled the actress; Honore
de Balzac (1796-1850) and Emile Souvestre 1806-54),
novests, and Georges Bizet Q83S-75) composer of
Carmen" 1t also includes a Mohammedan Cemetery
that is quite fallen into decay.