Gastric Martyrdom

Compared to men of other nations your Frenchman is a born gastronome. Even to French Socialists the stomach and its garniture are matters to be approached with reverence.

Therefore, M. Leon Blum, fiery leader of the Socialist Party (TIME, Dec. 7, 1925), displayed nought but acumen when he harangued a party caucus as follows last week:

"Mes Amis! That our party may grow to dominate all others, we must establish a Socialist daily newspaper. . . . Trop cher? No, it will not come too dear! . . . We must find only two million francs [$660,000]. . . . Tiens! Let each Socialist deprive himself of but ten hors d'oeuvres during the coming year. . . . With the price of these 'appetizers' we will finance our paper. . . ."

Dazzled by the martyrdom proposed to them the Socialist auditors of M. Blum pledged themselves by acclamation to dine ten times during the coming year without awakening their gastric juices to action by an "appetizer."