Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-22
By JAN VALTM

deputies and the chief of the
Communist military Apparat
in France.
He was a lean-bodied giant,
and his trade had been that
of a butcher in a municipal
abattoir. His apartment was
cluttered with the souvenirs
OF many journeys to Russia.
Red army mementoes and
photographs of Soviet leaders.
His wife. a chunky, lively
woman, held a position in the
administration of the Les
Halles, the pivotal point in
the distribution of the Paris
food supply.
One of my jobs now was TO
organize surveillance over all
seamen. lockers, river work
ers and fishermen among the
foreign delegates.
CREAM OF COMINTERN
Another was TO act as in
terpreter in conferences be-
tween Comintern executives
and the heads OF the various
populations. These meetings
took place either in the
architects studio" of Walter
Ginsburg, on the Rue de
Seine, or in the rambling
Offices which the Western
Secretariat had established at
2SS Rue Lafayette. The
cream of the Comintern had
come TO town.
My chief, Ulrich, flew over
from Copenhagen, together
with Richard Jensen and a
full score of their lieutenants.
But the majority of the dele
gates were not Communists.
Workers and int g llectuals,
teachers. writer's and pro-
fessional men belonging TO
the liberal camp arrived in
droves. anxious 10 give a hand
in building world movement
against Hitler and what he
stood for.
Few of these guileless pill
grims, ii seemed had the
faintest notion that the force
which had organized and
financed the World Congress.
written all the resolutions and
made all decisions in advance
of its formal opening, was the
Comintern.
The hundreds of guards and
interpreters, typists, stenog-
raphers. guides and couriers
were all members of the Com
munist Party.
The congress convened in
the Sale Peyel, the famous
concert hall not far from
lEtoile and Arc de Triomphe.
Outwardly il was one of the
grandest international assem-
blies the world had ever
witnessed. But the real con-
vention took place, as usual,
behind the scenes.
SPEAKS IN MASK
The congress elected a
World Committee against
War and Fascism," and agreed
unanimously to the Com
munist proposal that CORE
spending League agai n I
War and Fascism" should be
set up in every democratic
country on earth.
On the third day OF the
congress l spoke in the
densely packed Sale Pleyel.
Like other speakers who had
come from "totalitarian'
countries, / wore a mask. for
the danger that Gestapo
agents were among us was
ever present.
| exhorted the international
delegates TO make use of the
thousands of ships of all flags
which entered German har-
bors and rivers as batterlng
rams to cleave a way for anti
> Hitler propaganda and organi-
Zation across the marine
frontiers of the Third Reich.
There was I hun erous
applause. My speech was
translated in seven languages.
One OF the personages who
had been expected TO turn up
at the congress was Ernst
Wollweber. But the ex-mut-
ineer had stuck 10 his post
in Germany. Cilly, his secre-
tary, arrived in his stead.
Tall lithesome. smartly at
tired. she had lost none of her
admirable poise. But her face
betrayed the strain of months
OF perilous underground work
at Wollweber's side.
IL am glad came out
alive" she told me. ct Is not
simple death that shakes one;
It's the horror, the feeling
that all around you are teeth.
murderOus teeth, ready to
snap at you and mangle you"
IT. n. ContInuaAA