[The second issue of Rouge to appear since the June 28 dissolution of the Ligue Communiste came out dated July 6 (not July 4, as we previously reported). The front cover of the paper identifies it as an "hebdomadaire d'action communiste" (communist action newspaper). This was the issue that was widely sold in Paris by dozens of opponents of the ban on the Ligue on the weekend of July 7-8. (See Intercontinental Press, July 16, p. 851.)
[The issue dealt with a broad range of subjects including the war in Indochina, the struggle against the dicta- July 23, 1973
torship in Greece, the struggle of workers at the occupied Lip watch factory, the fight to abolish legal restrictions on women's right to abortion in France. It also provided eight pages on the fight against the ban on the Ligue Communiste and the political machinations of the regime.
[The back page contained a large advertisement appealing for funds to keep the paper going. Contributions to sustain Rouge and to fight against the ban on the Ligue should be sent to C. C.P. Michel Foucault, Paris 26- 15, France, with reference to Campagne pour l'abrogation du décret -
Soutien à Rouge (Campaign for the Lifting of the Decree-Support to Rouge).
(The new masthead also notes that all other correspondence should be addressed to Rouge, B.P. 37813, Paris. The old address should no longer be used.
[The lead editorial explained why Rouge will go on. We reprint below the text of that editorial. This is followed by several additional articles from the issue-all dealing with aspects of the banning of the Ligue and the fight against it. All translations are by Intercontinental Press.]
Because of the government's infamous decree, the Ligue Communiste, French section of the Fourth International, founded in April 1969, is dissolved.
This is a bad blow for Rouge, for its distribution, and for its readers.
Rouge, communist action newspaper, first came out in September 1968, at a time when the Ligue did not yet exist. Later, because of a basic convergence of ideas and goals, Rouge was placed at the service of the Ligue Communiste; it especially served as a forum for Alain Krivine's candidacy in the 1969 presidential elections. That collaboration continued afterwards.
Today, the Ligue has been dissolved; Rouge goes on.
In proclaiming the dissolution of the Ligue, Prime Minister Messmer stated: "It is not the words but the acts of the Ligue Communiste that concern us." All right, Rouge will open its pages to those who have fought in the ranks of the Ligue, so that they may be able to continue to express and defend their ideas.
This is a matter of freedom of the press, and of simple freedom of expression as well.
In reality, the dissolution of the Ligue represents an attack on the workers movement whose consequences, in various respects, remain to be seen fully; especially as regards the possibility of defending revolutionary ideas.
The dissolution of the Ligue has already served as the pretext for temporarily arresting Jacques Valier (economics instructor, professor at Nanterre, and editor of the theoretical journal Critique de l'Economie Politique) and for searching his home.
The arbitrary methods that have become common practice for the present regime are cause for concern that the initial acts of harassment are preludes to more encroachments on freedom of the press.
That is why we are calling for militant support and for financial aid from all friends of Rouge, new and old friends alike.
Everyone should become an active distributor! Let's increase its readership!
Let Rouge go on!
POMPIDOU: Marcellin's boss. Did he set up the cops?
sent out over the police airwaves directed to all units then on duty. The message was clear, and it said in substance: nothing to report on any front; things calm; no immediate confrontation feared."