Robert Reid Ex-Correspondent of The Daily Telegraph

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Engels recorded in English and German the talk he and Marx had had with the British democratic journalist Robert Reid. On June 30, Reid offered Marx, for the defence of the Communards, the use of the material he had collected while in Paris during the Commune as correspondent for the London liberal newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Marx and Engels reported their talk to the General Council on July 4, 1871. Engels noted that Reid “had made some interesting statements which proved the villainous part acted by the press of this country towards the Commune”.

It was first published in the languages of the original (English and German) in Marx/Engels, Gesamtausgabe (MEGA), Vol. 1/22, pp. 244-45.

July l, 1871

Just after the arrest at Peter’s restaurant, Bower, the correspondent of The Morning Advertiser, and the other, the Times correspondent Dallas, and a Russian attaché were released, but Bower went back inside to fetch his (English) lady friend, who had already taken up with another gentleman, so THAT HE PITCHED INTO HIM, ASSAULTED HIM, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, AND LOCKED UP FOR THAT.

These 3 published a letter, which was in reality a fake. 1) that it was the members of the Commun e who had been in the café with red an d gold sashes an d also whores, who showed their cards in the café, an d 2) that Bower was arrested without reason (it was only the police commissars who wer e wearing red sashes but without gold fringes).

IN THE TELEGRAPH REID’S REPORTS OFTEN ALTERED.’ A VERY IMPORTANT LETTER WAS SUPPRESSED BY THEM.

ON 2OTH MAY, Reid had the newspaper. In The Telegraph of then OR 18TH MAY VERSAILLES CORRESPONDENT STATED THAT COURBET HAD WITH A HAMMER DESTROYED OBJECTS OF ART IN LOUVRE.

On the 20th, Reid showed this telegram to Courbet. Below follows Courbet’s letter to the editor of The Telegraph:

* “Sir,

“Not only have I not destroyed any works of art in the Louvre, but on the contrary it was under my care that all those which had been dispersed by various ministers in different buildings throughout the capital were collected, and restored to their proper places in the [Louvre] Museum. In like manner the Luxemburg was benefitted. It was I who preserved and arranged all the works of art removed from the house of M. Thiers. I am accused of having destroyed the Column Vendôme when the fact is on record that the decree for its destruction was passed 14th April and I was elected to the Commune on the 20, six days afterwards. I warmly urged the preservation of the bas-reliefs and proposed to form a Museum of them in the Court of the Invalides. Knowing the purity of the motives by which I have been actuated, I also know the difficulties one inherits in coming after a régime such as the Empire.*

"Greetings and fraternity "

G. Courbet

“Hôtel de Ville 20 MAY 71. “

This letter was sent to The Telegraph by Reid but was not printed.

See PAPERS for about April 10.12.

Tolain. The Times correspondent wished to know what the General Council would say to it— The Times suppressed our resolution.

Reid was engaged by The Telegraph to send telegrams and is ready to swear that they were amended in printing to show the Commune in a bad light.

Adolphus Smith, Ex-correspondent of The Daily News to lecture on the Commune, Charing Cross Theatre, 3.7.71.

Present at the demonstration on Rue de la Paix. In the Place Vendôme the rifles of the National Guard were stacked together in piles, and one Englishman, whom he referred to as (Leatham?) and who was in the front row of the procession, rushed out to seize a pile of rifles.

Jourde was in the burning Ministry of Finance until the very last and saved books and money. And he is alleged to have set it afire! An Englishman, who lives opposite, whom he can name, saw 2 bombs strike the roof, explode, and soon thereafter smoke, then flame, then gradually the whole building in flames.