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If it isn’t too much of a nuisance to you I would like to ask your advice, not as Director of L’Intransigeant<ref name="n3" /> but as a reserve officer and above all as a friend<ref name="n4" />. In a word, after having completed my military service in the infantry<ref name="n5" /> (and at present having pulled more "strings" to avoid being discharged than many others have done in order to be), and being too ill I was later appointed as an administrative officer<ref name="n6" />. But as my health worsened I have never exercised any of those duties (even though I have been promoted in seniority!) , so that four years ago<ref name="n7" /> after a visit from a major<ref name="n8" />, I was struck off the lists on health grounds by presidential order<ref name="n9" />.
If it isn’t too much of a nuisance to you I would like to ask your advice, not as Director of L’Intransigeant<ref name="n3" /> but as a reserve officer and above all as a friend<ref name="n4" />. In a word, after having completed my military service in the infantry<ref name="n5" /> (and at present having pulled more "strings" to avoid being discharged than many others have done in order to be), and being too ill I was later appointed as an administrative officer<ref name="n6" />. But as my health worsened I have never exercised any of those duties (even though I have been promoted in seniority!) , so that four years ago<ref name="n7" /> after a visit from a major<ref name="n8" />, I was struck off the lists on health grounds by presidential order<ref name="n9" />.


Quand cet été on a dit que tous les réformés auraient à passer un conseil de révision et devaient se faire inscrire à leur mairie<ref name="n10" />, j’étais fort malade, peu au courant, et pour ne pas risquer de ne pas être en règle je me suis fait inscrire à la mairie<ref name="n11" />. J’ai dit à la personne qui s’est chargée de ce soin<ref name="n12" /> de donner les renseignements qu’on lui demanderait mais comme on n’a pas parlé de la question « officier », j’ai jugé inutile de faire étalage de ce grade, ne connaissant pas un mot du métier. Je vais donc d’un jour à l’autre je pense être convoqué pour un conseil de révision. Mais un de mes amis officier de réserve<ref name="n13" /> qui passait par Paris et entrait me voir l’autre jour et à qui j’ai raconté cela m’a dit (j’ignore s’il est bien informé) 1º que cette contre-réforme était pour les hommes et nullement pour les officiers. 2º que quand au conseil de révision on verrait que j’étais officier on ne m’examinerait pas et que j’aurais eu une fatigue inutile. Pour le second point je crois que je n’ai qu’à attendre ma convocation et aussitôt demander à la Place<ref name="n14" /> de prévenir le recrutement que je n’irai pas au conseil de révision et me ferai visiter à la Place. Ce que j’aurais le mieux aimé c’est ne pas être visité du tout, mes certificats médicaux établissant mon absolue incapacité<ref name="n15" />, d’ailleurs quand j’ai fait mon livre le Temps, d’autres journaux m’ont fait interviewer<ref name="n16" />, et leurs rédacteurs ont dit qu’ils étaient venus près de mon lit que je ne quittais pas depuis des années<ref name="n17" />. Or à ce moment on ne prévoyait pas les événements et cela ne pouvait pas être un moyen préventif d’« embusquage<ref name="n18" /> » ! Mais enfin si je dois être visité je préfère me déranger et aller à la Place plutôt que de laisser un major souffrir de mes fumigations au milieu desquelles il aurait la plus grande chance de se trouver et qui rendent l’atmosphère de ma chambre irrespirable. Mais peut-être n’y a-t-il pas besoin que je sois visité du tout si la contre-réforme ne s’applique pas aux officiers. Et c’est ici que vous pourriez peut-être me renseigner, car je crois me rappeler qu’à Versailles quand vous étiez si joli cavalier, vous étiez officier de réserve<ref name="n19" />. Si vous ne le savez pas, ne prenez pas la peine de le faire demander à la Place, car d’Albufera va me donner une lettre<ref name="n20" /> pour le Commandant de Sachs<ref name="n21" /> qui y est, et puis je connais Reinach qui doit y être aussi<ref name="n22" />. (Lequel vaut le mieux ?) Votre intervention ne me serait précieuse (et combien) que si vous connaissiez le chef dont je dépends, c'est-à-dire le Directeur du Service de Santé (je crois le M. Inspecteur Février) assez pour qu’il réglât le tout sur mes certificats. Mais c’est peu probable. Mais peut-être pouvez-vous en tous cas me dire si la contre-réforme s’appliquerait aux officiers.
When I was told this summer that all discharged men would have to appear before a review board and would have to register at the Town Hall<ref name="n10" />, I was very ill, not at all well informed, and so as not to risk disobeying the rules I had myself registered at the Town Hall<ref name="n11" />. I told the person who was taking care of this task<ref name="n12" /> to provide the information that was asked of them, but as there was no mention of the question of being an "officer", I judged that it was pointless to flaunt my rank, not being familiar with the procedures. So now I’m going from one day to the next thinking that I’m about to be summoned before a review board. But a friend of mine who is a reserve officer<ref name="n13" /> passing through Paris and coming up to see me the other day and who I informed of all this, told me (I don’t know how well informed he is) firstly that this counter discharge only applied to privates and not to officers. Secondly  that when the review board saw that I was an officer they wouldn’t make me undergo an examination and that I would have tired myself unnecessarily. As for the second point I think that I should just wait to be summoned and then immediately ask at H.Q.<ref name="n14" /> to forestall my recruitment so that instead of going to the review board I would report to H.Q. What I would like best would be to <u>not make any visits at all</u>, my medical certificates establishing my total incapacity<ref name="n15" />, and in any case when I published my book Le Temps and other papers came to interview me<ref name="n16" />, and their reporters said that they came to my bedside and that I hadn’t left it for years<ref name="n17" />. But at that time nobody could foresee what was to come and it couldn’t have been a preventative measure for a "cushy number"<ref name="n18" />! But in the end, if I have to be seen I would prefer to put myself out and report to H.Q. rather than letting a major suffer my fumigations where the chances are that he would find me in the middle of one, and which make the atmosphere in my room unbreathable. Then again maybe there won’t be any need for them to make a visit at all if the counter discharge doesn’t apply to officers. And this is where you can perhaps advise me, because I seem to recall that at Versailles when you were such a fine cavalryman, you were a reserve officer<ref name="n19" />. If you can’t answer this please don’t bother to ask at H.Q., because d’Albufera is going to give me a letter<ref name="n20" /> for Commander de Sachs<ref name="n21" /> who is there, and plus I know Reinach who is bound to be there too<ref name="n22" />. (Which of them would be best?) Your intervention will only be valuable to me (and very much so) if you are well enough acquainted with the officer I am depending upon, who is Director of the Department of Health (Inspector M. Février I think) to settle everything with regard to my certificates. But that’s not really likely. Although perhaps you can tell me in any case if the counter discharge would apply to officers.


Cher Léon, exprès je me suis limité au conseil pratique que j’avais à vous demander. Sans cela, il y aurait trop eu à dire ! Je vous avais écrit<ref name="n23" /> je crois l’été dernier, après mon grand chagrin<ref name="n24" />, avant le coup de foudre de la guerre. Depuis comme tout le monde j’ai tremblé pour des vies chères. Vous avez su sans doute que l’hôpital de mon frère a été bombardé à Étain pendant qu’il opérait et depuis il n’a cessé de courir – et d’aller au-devant – des plus grands dangers. En ce moment il est dans l’Argonne<ref name="n25" /> mais il y a un mois que je n’ai eu de ses nouvelles. J’espère que vous n’avez pas trop d’inquiétudes et de chagrins autour de vous. Si vous me répondez vous me feriez bien plaisir en me donnant des nouvelles d’Albert Flament<ref name="n26" />. Comme détail sans importance j’aimerais savoir à quel stupide discoureur vous faisiez allusion hier, qui avait parlé de la « synthèse du courage » !
Cher Léon, exprès je me suis limité au conseil pratique que j’avais à vous demander. Sans cela, il y aurait trop eu à dire ! Je vous avais écrit<ref name="n23" /> je crois l’été dernier, après mon grand chagrin<ref name="n24" />, avant le coup de foudre de la guerre. Depuis comme tout le monde j’ai tremblé pour des vies chères. Vous avez su sans doute que l’hôpital de mon frère a été bombardé à Étain pendant qu’il opérait et depuis il n’a cessé de courir – et d’aller au-devant – des plus grands dangers. En ce moment il est dans l’Argonne<ref name="n25" /> mais il y a un mois que je n’ai eu de ses nouvelles. J’espère que vous n’avez pas trop d’inquiétudes et de chagrins autour de vous. Si vous me répondez vous me feriez bien plaisir en me donnant des nouvelles d’Albert Flament<ref name="n26" />. Comme détail sans importance j’aimerais savoir à quel stupide discoureur vous faisiez allusion hier, qui avait parlé de la « synthèse du courage » !

Revision as of 08:13, 5 April 2021

Other languages:

Marcel Proust to Léon Bailby [9 Decembre 1914]

(Click on the link above to see this letter and its notes in the Corr-Proust digital edition, including all relevant hyperlinks.)

102 bd Haussmann[1]

My dear Léon[2]

If it isn’t too much of a nuisance to you I would like to ask your advice, not as Director of L’Intransigeant[3] but as a reserve officer and above all as a friend[4]. In a word, after having completed my military service in the infantry[5] (and at present having pulled more "strings" to avoid being discharged than many others have done in order to be), and being too ill I was later appointed as an administrative officer[6]. But as my health worsened I have never exercised any of those duties (even though I have been promoted in seniority!) , so that four years ago[7] after a visit from a major[8], I was struck off the lists on health grounds by presidential order[9].

When I was told this summer that all discharged men would have to appear before a review board and would have to register at the Town Hall[10], I was very ill, not at all well informed, and so as not to risk disobeying the rules I had myself registered at the Town Hall[11]. I told the person who was taking care of this task[12] to provide the information that was asked of them, but as there was no mention of the question of being an "officer", I judged that it was pointless to flaunt my rank, not being familiar with the procedures. So now I’m going from one day to the next thinking that I’m about to be summoned before a review board. But a friend of mine who is a reserve officer[13] passing through Paris and coming up to see me the other day and who I informed of all this, told me (I don’t know how well informed he is) firstly that this counter discharge only applied to privates and not to officers. Secondly that when the review board saw that I was an officer they wouldn’t make me undergo an examination and that I would have tired myself unnecessarily. As for the second point I think that I should just wait to be summoned and then immediately ask at H.Q.[14] to forestall my recruitment so that instead of going to the review board I would report to H.Q. What I would like best would be to not make any visits at all, my medical certificates establishing my total incapacity[15], and in any case when I published my book Le Temps and other papers came to interview me[16], and their reporters said that they came to my bedside and that I hadn’t left it for years[17]. But at that time nobody could foresee what was to come and it couldn’t have been a preventative measure for a "cushy number"[18]! But in the end, if I have to be seen I would prefer to put myself out and report to H.Q. rather than letting a major suffer my fumigations where the chances are that he would find me in the middle of one, and which make the atmosphere in my room unbreathable. Then again maybe there won’t be any need for them to make a visit at all if the counter discharge doesn’t apply to officers. And this is where you can perhaps advise me, because I seem to recall that at Versailles when you were such a fine cavalryman, you were a reserve officer[19]. If you can’t answer this please don’t bother to ask at H.Q., because d’Albufera is going to give me a letter[20] for Commander de Sachs[21] who is there, and plus I know Reinach who is bound to be there too[22]. (Which of them would be best?) Your intervention will only be valuable to me (and very much so) if you are well enough acquainted with the officer I am depending upon, who is Director of the Department of Health (Inspector M. Février I think) to settle everything with regard to my certificates. But that’s not really likely. Although perhaps you can tell me in any case if the counter discharge would apply to officers.

Cher Léon, exprès je me suis limité au conseil pratique que j’avais à vous demander. Sans cela, il y aurait trop eu à dire ! Je vous avais écrit[23] je crois l’été dernier, après mon grand chagrin[24], avant le coup de foudre de la guerre. Depuis comme tout le monde j’ai tremblé pour des vies chères. Vous avez su sans doute que l’hôpital de mon frère a été bombardé à Étain pendant qu’il opérait et depuis il n’a cessé de courir – et d’aller au-devant – des plus grands dangers. En ce moment il est dans l’Argonne[25] mais il y a un mois que je n’ai eu de ses nouvelles. J’espère que vous n’avez pas trop d’inquiétudes et de chagrins autour de vous. Si vous me répondez vous me feriez bien plaisir en me donnant des nouvelles d’Albert Flament[26]. Comme détail sans importance j’aimerais savoir à quel stupide discoureur vous faisiez allusion hier, qui avait parlé de la « synthèse du courage » !

De tout cœur à vous cher Léon, unis dans la même grande angoisse et la même grande espérance

Votre Marcel Proust

[27] [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ Note 1
  2. ↑ Note 2
  3. ↑ Note 3
  4. ↑ Note 4
  5. ↑ Note 5
  6. ↑ Note 6
  7. ↑ Note 7
  8. ↑ Note 8
  9. ↑ Note 9
  10. ↑ Note 10
  11. ↑ Note 11
  12. ↑ Note 12
  13. ↑ Note 13
  14. ↑ Note 14
  15. ↑ Note 15
  16. ↑ Note 16
  17. ↑ Note 17
  18. ↑ Note 18
  19. ↑ Note 19
  20. ↑ Note 20
  21. ↑ Note 21
  22. ↑ Note 22
  23. ↑ Note 23
  24. ↑ Note 24
  25. ↑ Note 25
  26. ↑ Note 26
  27. ↑ Translation notes:
  28. ↑ Contributors:
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