June to September 1940

The evacuation of Paris has begun – The earth has turned of [sic: off] its contents like a disturbed fool – All sorts & conditions of humanity flooding the streets especially St Michel & Aven. [sic: Avenue] Orleans – Place Montrouge sight unbelievable [,] cars cars – Sonja & I go down the street near Café Zeyer & man tells Italy has gone into the war – had not seen it in the papers – artificial mist and Sonja thinks we should get gas masks – 

// Sonja & I go for gas-masks & past Goetz – The fruit woman tells tells [sic] Goetz had left for Pepe –on the Spanish border & that there is no need for confusion – Speaks encouragingly of 1914 – I go down St Michel & Sonja goes home.  I see miserable sights of refugees a continuous stream towards the south vers [French: around] Port d’Orlean – I go to Swansons & find him packing [,] he wants to get to the outskirts of Paris, dreads the outburst likely to come – fears the artificial mist & can’t stand it – Does not think they will shoot negroes – Queer dream of earoplanes [sic: airplanes] & white birds – plays Bach [,] England Suite(?) promise to call on me – Return home by Montparnasse [,] the Gare [French: train station] is shut & people in crowds around – waiting – a woman says “there are no more trains.” Streams of camions [French: trucks] & wheelbarrows & baby prams, & handcarts – over the baggage an occasional baby “thrown into the bargain” [.] sad procession & one thinks how Europe has been a playground up til now – 

Sonja & I wait for Swanson [,] he does not arrive presumably gone away – 

Clarice [presumed to be Clarice Penso] arrives & tells artificial mist was the burning of Rouen – She leaves a note for Rita & Renée & tells us Paris likely to get order of evacuation – leaves an address in case we might lose each other [,] Sonja & I – She weeps a little [,] very good woman –

Get some food & get out to see the refugees – Place Montrouge – It is like a show. people around the cafes & the Boulevards to see the March past – One thinks of “14 Juillet” [reference to Bastille Day] but instead of victorious soldiers – one sees miserable little woman tired worn & haggard with their babies clutching at their breasts – There is no triumph here – It is the people on the move – One sees French types of the French Revolution – The French people to whom Paris is a den of thieves and hotbed of crime & evil – One wonders what they are thinking – After all what did they think during the last war – Will they go on being refugees generation after generation –

Among the traffic now & again one sights camions [French: trucks] full of soldiers or Police or guns – We return home – Rita has not evacuated after all – She is restless [,] in the middle of the night she knocks at door and shouts – She has seen light leaping in the air – Suggest we should be calm & wait but she replies – Attendre Attendre [illegible] quand les bayonette est dans ta ventre [French: Wait wait [illegible] when the bayonets are in your belly].  She goes off again nervous – Sonja thinks it does not matter what happens to us as we have worked our best we can only hope the next generation will be luckier – we go to see Joe – gone – Nervosity [sic] in the air [.] Several drunk – woman waters – 

// The morning I go down to Sonja & see her in the street with a crowd of people round 2 soldiers from the front [.] They look tired & worn – They say the army has retreated & one believes it will all be over in 48 hours [,] he has had enough – A woman asks if any of them from England – One answers affirmative [.] She wants to know in a vague way something or and the about somebody – He says many dead & navy sank – 

After we go down the street many soldiers walking Southward tired – thousands of refugees [,] St Michel endless flood [,] all sorts of conveyances – Some seated on pavement moving their ‘boots’ swollen feet – We speak to several [,] all no hope [.] It is a miserable procession against 14 J. [reference: 14 July, Bastille Day].  All seem to have sticks to lean on – we meet little Senegalese [,] confused – return – Same scenes & mad woman screaming [.] she seems to have on only her raincoat [,] her legs show white through the vent as she totters about leaning on the Seine – I suddenly remark that is true expression of our times.

Cows & oxen pulling wagon impressive [.] Strange to see them at Luxembourg Garden [,] group of unhappy soldiers seem to have had enough [,] inclined to be too talkative at last they are reasonable & calm – Red cross dubious little woman wishes they had stayed on [,] calls officer – taxi fiasco back home – 

We go to P Orlean [sic: Porte d’Orlean] in evening