Camelots du Roi

The Fascismo success in Italy has given new life to the royalist organization known as the Camelots du Roi.

The Camelots du Roi, literally, the King's hawkers--is an organization within an organization. It was founded by three prominent men in the ranks of the Royalist Party, Maxime del Sarte, Marius Plateau (recently murdered in the office of the Action Franc,aise), and Lucien Lacour. In turn it is sponsored by the French Royalist newspaper, L'Action Franc,aise, of which Leon Daudet is the head. Writing of them Daudet says: "Camelots du Roi was the beginning of a vast movement which was soon to sweep along the majority of French youth." To some extent this is true.

Dedicated to the Duc d'Orleans, "Philippe VIII" of France, Head of the Bourbon-Orleans House "qui en mille ans fit la France," the Action Franc,aise appears each day. Every morning at an early hour the Camelots, generally young students of the Universite de Paris, sell the paper to all and sundry. Besides this there is now quite a large newsstand sale, and it is, of course, supported loyally by all the Royalist Party in France.

Leon Daudet, editor of the Action Franc,aise, son of the famous novelist, Alphonse Daudet, and himself no mean writer, is the energy of the Royalist movement. Charles Maurras, also an editor of the paper, distinguished by the excellence of his polemics, may be termed the moral and theoretical leader of the party. The late Marius Plateau, who was killed by a female assassin, was considered the greatest organizer of the three. It was on account of his death that the Camelots raided the offices of the radical newspapers, L'Oeuvre and the Ere Nouvelle.

One of the effects of the Action Franc,aise has been to split the Catholics into two parties, some remaining good republicans, but a large number joining the ranks of the royalists.