FEBRUARY 1986 NEWSLETTER

LAST MEETING - JOHANNESBURG - 9th JANUARY 1986.

The Meeting opened with the customary M.G.H. short, the subject - "Ladies Night".

The main speaker was Mr. Will Carr, who spoke on "The Dreyfus Affair".

On 15th October 1894 Captain AIfred Dreyfus was arrested by French Counterintelligence on a charge of treason. This charge was based on the allegation that Dreyfus had been selling military secrets to Germany. The proof to this allegationt was a list of secret documents provided to the German military attaché, Colonel von Schwartzkoppen. This list became known as the bordereau. The court martial took place in camera and, despite only the most circumstantial evidence, Dreyfus was found guilty. General Mercier, the Minister of War, provided a secret dossier to the court martial judges. These documents were not made available to the defence. Dreyfus then suffered the humility of degradation having his badges of rank stripped and his sword broken at a public parade. He was then sent to Devil's Island for life imprisonment. There was only one problem - he was innocent.

The traitor was in fact Major Count Esterhazy. French Counterintelligence was convinced of Dreyfus's guilt from the start, and, in order to secure his conviction certain evidence was withheld from the defence and tampered with. In time, as questions began to be asked about the guilt of Dreyfus, it became neccessary for the officers involved to sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of forgeries and deceipt. It would not do for the publ ic to question the integrity of the Army, In the mea.ntime Dreyfus's family, and particularly his brother - Mathieu, made strenuous efforts to clear his name and secure his release.

In July 1895 Major Picquart was appointed chief of Counterintelligence. He discovered that Esterhazy was the author of the bordereau. Shortly thereafter he was sent on an inspection tour of eastern France and eventually posted to North Africa and the Libyan border - an assignment carrying a high risk of mortality. However, in the words of Emile Zola, "the truth was on the march". In November Le Matin published a photograph of the bordereau. Mathieu Dreyfus sent an open letter denouncing Esterhazy to the new Minister of War Billot. A court martial was held, and, remarkably, Esterhazy was found innocent. Immediately thereafter, Zola published his article "J'accuse" in George Clemenceau's paper. In February 1898 Zola was arrested and convicted and Picquart dismissed from the Army. However, in April the case was remanded for a retrial. The Government fell in the national elections, and in August the Army's case collapsed with the exposure of the forgeries. The officer responsible committed suicide, and several senior officers resigned.

In August 1899 Dreyfus was again brought before a court martial in Rennes where, incredibly, he was again convicted. He was however pardoned the following month. Only in 1906, after a further trial, was Dreyfus officially found innocent, and reinstated into the Army; Esterhazy fled to the United Kingdom.

Doctor Ian Copley thanked the speaker for a fascinating presentation. One can only echo Will Carr's observation that "a free press and free government are essential in the preservation of the liberty of the individual"

Obituary

The Society notes with regret the passing away, on the 3rd December, of Mr. Rento Garschagen. Mr. Garschagen has served as Hon. Secretary/Treasurer of the Society's Cape Town Branch since 1980.

Future Meetings

Johannesburg

February 13th - Mr. George Tremoulet - "The English Civil War of 1642/1648".

- April 10th - Annual General Meeting and Film.

Durban

- February 20th - Major Dennis Shiel-Small - "A Pictorial History of the Gurkhas".

Cape Town

February 13th - Brigadier Jack Penn (Rtd.), F.R.C.S., M.B.E., S.M. - "The Story of Military Plastic Surgery".

One Day Tour - Sunday March 16th 1986.

The programme will include visits to a number of sites in the Pretoria area. These sites will include Fort Skanskop, Melrose House and Doornkloof (Field Marshal Smuts's home)~ Full details in next newsIetter.

Other Matters.

(1.) Transkei Military History.

The Africana and Special Collections section of the Library of the University of Transkei is currently building up a comprehensive record of all aspects of the Transkei and the Xhosa people, past and present. Our Society's assistance in this project has been requested, and any members who consider that they have any relevant information or material are requested to contact Sally Ross, Special Collections Librarian, University of Transkei, Private Bag nnnn, Umtata, Republic of Transkei.

(2.) Video Series - "the Far Pavillions".

This film is based on the novel by M. M. Kaye. The setting is British Imperial India at the time of the Second Afghan War. It is a colourfuI, spectacular film with sound historical research. The final episode includes a superb re-enactment of the murder of Sir Louis Cavagnari and the last stand of the Guides at Kabul.

STEWART STILES