A very remarkable article headed "Les dessous " appears in
the Paris Figaro of the 11th inst., signed by M. Comely, the well-known leader-writer of that journal. Addressing himself to foreign critics of France, M. Comely declares that the true inwardness of " l'affaire " must necessarily escape their com- prehension. Foreigners, he admits, have considerable excuse for regarding France as divided into two camps, on the one side the few choice spirits—journalists, professors, and Senators—who demand revision or acquittal, and on the other the bulk of the nation who idolise the Army, and are led by those who profess the doctrine that, guilty or innocent, Dreyfus must suffer his punishment because Dreyfus is a Jew. This view, according to M. Comely, is entirely lacking in perspective. He is ready to admit that Dreyfus was illegally convicted, but calls his family impruciente for championing him, and declares that it is no longer a judicial but a political matter. The Dreyfus case, in a word, was merely the match that fired the explo- sion of hatred between the bond-fide Republicans on the one hand, and the Army, the Church, and the people on the other. The former are fighting, not for Dreyfus, but against the system which combines a Republican and atheist State with a huge permanent Army and a state-endowed Church. M. Comely allows that any other country would have had Tevision long ago. But in France that would be impossible without revolution. Having thus stated his case, M. Comely eases his mind by observing that cette situation. est tres bite. It should not be forgotten that the Figaro has for some time been violently anti-Dreyfusard, having, it is alleged, changed 'sidee for policy's sake, a fact which only enhances the extra- ordinary cynicism of the entire article.
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