CLAUDEL Paul (1868-1955). L. A. S., Paris [8 ? October 1947], to General de Gaulle; 3 pages in-8. Admiration for General de Gaulle after his speech on 5 October at the Vincennes racecourse. Back in Paris, he read in the paper about "the splendid demonstration at Vincennes, the reconstitution of the Comintern, and the plebiscite in the Saar. Excellent, wonderful news! He regretted that his distance, in his village of Brangues, had prevented him from attending the "recent demonstrations in the front ranks of your supporters. The declaration of the Nine is marvellous. [...] My great joy is that not only do we have a leader within us, it is to feel that in the whole of the West, at this solemn hour, there is not a man of your stature and that you are called upon to take command of the (?) international barrier. The political situation is now clear. There is no longer any need to dwell on petty defiance and outdated grudges. Enemy No. 1 is Soviet barbarism, and whether we like it or not, Germany is the shield. When you have a shield, it has to be solid"... In his head, de Gaulle wrote: "I answered C. G.".