PREPARATIONS FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR
13 3
uniting Belgium, France and England".(45) We know how quickly the German armies defeated the Belgian defence betrayed by the clerical fifth column. Maybe we remember also that the apostle of "Christus Rex", donning the German uniform, went, accompanied by much publicity, to "fight on the Eastern front" at the head of his "Waffen SS", recruited mainly amongst the youth of Catholic Action; then an opportune retreat enabled him to reach Spain. But, before that , he gave full vent to his "patriotic" feelings for the last time. M. Maurice de Behaut writes: "Ten years ago (in 1944), the port of Anvers, the third most important in the world, fell almost intact into the hands of the British troops... At the time when the population was beginning to see the end of its sufferings and privations, the most diabolic nazi invention fell on it: the flying bombs, V1 and V2. This bombardment, the longest in History, as it went on for six months, day and night, was kept carefully hidden, on the order of the allied headquarters. This is the reason why, today, the martyrdom of the cities of Anvers and Liege is still generally ignored. "On the eve of the first bombardment (12th of October), some had heard on Radio Berlin the alarming remarks of the "rexist" traitor Leon Degrelle: "I asked my Fuhrer", he screeched, "for twenty thousand flying bombs. They will chastise an idiotic people. I promise you that they will make of Anvers a city without a port, or a port without a city". "... From that day on, the rhythm of the bombardments was going to accentuate, catastrophes and disasters being the results, while the traitor Leon Degrelle was bawling on Radio Berlin, promising cataclysms even more terrible".(46) Such was the last farewell to his homeland of this monstrous product of the Catholic Action. Obedient pupil of Monseigneur Picard, Jesuit, Father Arendt, Jesuit, etc., the chief of "Christus Rex" strictly followed the papal rules. "The men of the Catholic Action", wrote Pius XI, "would fail in their duty if, as opportunities allow it, they did not try to direct the politics of their province and of their country".(47) Indeed, Leon Degrelle did his duty and the result—as we have seen— was in proportion to his zeal. We read in M. Raymond de Beckers's book: "The Catholic Action had found, in Belgium, exceptional men to orchistrate its themes, such as Monsignor Picard (the most important)... Canon Cardijn, founder of the (46) Review "Historia", December 1954. (47) Pius XI's Letter "Peculari Quadam", quoted by R.P. Jesuit de Soras, in the "Action catholique et action temporelle" (Ed. Spes, Paris 1938, p. 105). Imprimatur 1938. (48) Raymond de Becker, op.cit., p.66.