Evening star., 1941-01-18

been his at the time when he asked
for an armistice on June 7. The
marshal said:
discussion at this stage as to
whether resistance in North Africa
should or could have been at
tempted can surely have no more
than historical interest. This is a
problem of the past on which opin-
ion abroad wastes no passionate in
terest any more.
Anyway. there is none who can
say with authority what that resist
ance might have been worth. But
what can be proved is that had there
been resistance, it would have been
paid for very dearly in the first
weeks-by the invasion of all of
France, by complete break between
the motherland and the empire, and
by the definitive postponement of
the whole task of material and spir-
itual reconstruction.
To-day we find ourselves having
stood the trial. France has sur
vived. She has recovered her unity
And those who, in the worst days,
sought refuge on foreign soil are
beginning to regret their departure
and already to solicit pardons.
"A nation vanquished cannot,
without presumption, cherish too
many hopes. But a nation van
quished has nevertheless the right
not to regret what would have been
an act of despair"
We came to the second question
on the meaning of the Revolution
Rationale compared to the "Revo-
luton Francaise." 1t read, NC
French revolution in the past has
ever occurred without profoundly
affecting the political systems OF
other nations. In what way does
the National Revolution of 1o4O-4l
differ from the others and partic
ularly the one known as the French
Revolution? Are any of the ideals
of the French Revolution of 1873
to be found lurking in these new
conceptions of labor, family and
patrie (country)?"
Discusses Revolutions.
Together we went over the mar
shal's reply, stopping here and
there while he clarified a point
This was his reply:
The French Revolution of 178s
was made against certain privileges
before the law and certain exemp-
tions from obligations, against ad-
ministrative disorganization and
against excessive taxation.
The revolution of 1880 was made
against the arbitrary use Of royal
| prerogatives and the revolution OF
l840 against the blindness in social
matters of the haute bourgeoisie.
then in power.
These various revolutions, of
which the only one that really
counted was the first, did indeed
have tremendous repercussions in
all of Europe. This was largely
because there existed in most Eu-
ropean nations at the time political
| systems similar to the French re-
gime. The revolutionary example
of France proved contagious and the
flame spread to comparable classes
in other countries-to the intel
lectuals, the petty bourgeoisie and
the lower clergy.
There was this repercussion also
because of the existence in certain
countries of strong national minori-
ties among whom there was not only
the appetite for liberty, but also
for national emancipation. This was
always quick to appear, as in the
German states in 1896 against the
Holy Roman Empire, in 1880 in
Belgium and Poland and in 1848 in
the Italian pricipalities.
THE European revolutions in the
10th century which took place in
synchronization with revolutions in
France had, as their detectives,
either the removal of some monarch
or the destruction Of the system it
self or the achievement of political
independence. The same urge for
liberty was behind them ALL But it
was a conception of liberty which
does not meet with general agree
ment.
In the bill of complaints Of the
Tiers Etat, the demand for specific
liberties was greater than the de-
mand for liberty in the abstract,
for which, besides, the need was not
overwhelmingly evidenced.
1T was only later, during the
course of the revolution, that liberty
as a philosophical ideal came to be
written into our body Of law, into
the folds of our flag and into the
grandeur Of conquests. This was due
to the spiritual intimacy between
the Constituent Assembly of 1791
and the insurgents Of 1778.
Does Not Repudiate Heritage.
This heritage France does not
repudiate. 1t has won her friend
ship and renown. But France has
no right to claim its exclusive
paternity. The primordial right to
claim this ideal belongs to the
American Revolution with which
King Louis XVI had the honor to
associate the French Army and
Navy.
The national revolution of 1910
has set itself objectives which are
both definite and less extensive.
1T is not against political oppres-
sion that our national revolution
Is being made, but against an obso-
lete and outworn order, and 1t is
| tAkioR plsco La TIA Aftermath at