Josep Pla, the Fascist Aristocrat/JOSEP PLA DE CAMISA I SANG BLAVES

Josep Pla, the Fascist Aristocrat

by Josep C. Verges

Orchestrina Emporium of Torroella de Montgri in 1930. The aristocrat Josep Pla Comas played the drums on the right, appropriately so for Franco’s future censor. Below: Joaquim Nadal shows how he put his clever lefthandedness right to his elbow lying about Josep Pla. Facing his co-liar Lluis Maria Puig and in between the impassible former president, the also socialist Jose Montilla.

 

In 1940 there were two Plas in Catalonia. The aristocrat from Torroella de Montgri Jose Pla Comas, press delegate (censor) in Girona, published in El Pirineo “The Flags Returned,” used by the malicious against Josep Pla. Renamed Los Sitios, the newspaper admitted, in 1975!, that the author was the Fascist aristocrat Pla.

 

The self-righteous are always right. The magazine Presencia two years later, in 1977, repeated the lie that it had been written by Josep Pla. Signed by the politician Joaquim Nadal and his fellow socialist Lluis Maria de Puig they persisted with the easily disprovable lie. Indeed progressives stigmatized Josep Pla. And progressives still stigmatize him. Who can believe the censor’s disgusting phraseology is by Josep Pla?: “Flags of peace and hope, wrapped in gunpowder and bathed in blood, to the sound of triumphal hymns of war haver reinstated the Empire in Catalonia, which we join by God’s command and the needs of the people. By God’s command because Spain was the Nation chosen by Him to give battle to the enemies of the purest Christian essences, the essences that preach unity. And by the needs of a people tired of misfortunes, tragedies and falling behind on the graduated scale of the universal powers. Catalonia rejoined, at the martial rhythm of Franco’s phalanges a Spain, that with legitimate pride and logical haughtiness, worshiped its ancestors who discovered and conquered a new world. For us Spaniards, who, having given birth to Seneca, we are the inventors of stoicism and ready to face death fearlessly. Today the Catalonia of the great upheavals and bloodied by the lash of selfishness, rejoins Imperial Spain guided by the great mind of Franco, reborn trembling in the red and golden winds of wealth and gold ” Miquel Riera and Angel Quintana portray “the other Josep Pla”: “This macabre text signed by a Josep Pla has been the origin of great confusion. Josep Pla was not Josep Pla. Or, not to stoke the confusion, he was not Josep Pla the writer, but his namesake. Young Pla grew up in a landed aristocratic environment reading Spanish Fascism founder Jose Antonio. Pla was a bohemian who exploited the political events. In 1940, Josep Pla was appointed censor of the Delegation of Press and Propaganda by Governor Correa. But Pla did not stay long in political life. In his later years he is remembered sitting in a room of his dilapidated house reading a book covered in dust like the rest of the house. He was fond of drink. His haughty indifference and little desire to work led him to this bohemian end of his total personal decadence and of one of the high aristocratic families of Torroella. It is unfortunate that a person who lived so ingloriously has been the cause of so many problems.” The editor of Destino Nestor Lujan portrays one of Correa’s censors: “He was paid by the Gestapo, like all the other scoundrels surrounding Governor Correa.” Pla’s double was doubly blue, a scoundrel, not a bohemian.

(“Josep Pla de camisa i sang blaves,” by Josep C. Vergés, Diari de Girona, 21 December 2014)

 

Josep Pla de camisa i sang blaves

per Josep C. Vergés

Joaquim Nadal mostra com pot ficar la seva mà esquerra fins el colze mentint sobre Josep Pla davant el seu comentider Lluís Maria Puig. Impassible al mig l’expresident també socialista José Montilla. Primera foto: Orchestrina Emporium de Torroella de Montgrí el 1930. L’aristòcrata Josep Pla Comas toca el timbal a la dreta com correspon al futur censor de Franco.

 

El 1940 hi havia a Catalunya dos Pla. L’aristòcrata de Torroella de Montgrí José Pla Comas, delegat de premsa (censor) de Girona, publicava a El Pirineo “Banderas que volvían,” utilitzat pels maliciosos contra Josep Pla. Rebatejat Los Sitios, el diari admet, el 1975!, que n’era autor el Pla de camisa i sang blaves.

 

Els buscaraons sempre tenen raó. Presència dos anys després, 1977, repetia la mateixa mentida de que Josep Pla l’havia escrit. Signat pel polític Joaquim Nadal i el també socialista Lluís Maria de Puig persistien amb mentides fàcilment desmentibles. Efectivament la progressia estigmatitzava Josep Pla. Progressia que encara l’estigmatitza. A veure si la fastigosa fraseologia del censor és de Josep Pla: “Banderas de paz y esperanza, envueltas en pólvora y bañadas en sangre, al son de triunfales himnos de guerra iban reincorporando Cataluña al Imperio en el que entramos por mandato de Dios y por necesidad del pueblo. Por mandato de Dios, porque España era la Nación escogida por El para dar la batalla a los enemigos de las más puras esencias cristianas, las esencias que pregonan la unidad. Y por necesidad de un pueblo cansado de desdichas, de tragedias y de retroceder puestos en la escala gradual de las potencias universales. Cataluña se reincorporaba, al paso marcial de las Falanges de Franco, a la España que, con legítimo orgullo y lógica altivez, veneraba a aquellos sus antepasados que descubrían y conquistaban un nuevo mundo. Para nosotros, los españoles, que por haber dado nacimiento a Séneca hemos sido inventores del estoicismo, la muerte puede ser mirada de frente. Hoy la Cataluña de las grandes convulsiones, ensangrentada por el latigazo del egoísmo, se reincorpora a la España Imperial que guía la mente privilegiada de Franco, y renace tremolando a los vientos oriflamas de riqueza y oro.” Miquel Riera i Àngel Quintana retraten “l’altre Josep Pla”: “Aquest macabre text signat per un tal Josep Pla ha esta l’origen d’una enorme confusió. Josep Pla no era Josep Pla. O, per no augmentar la confusió, no és el Josep Pla escriptor sinó un altre. En un ambient aristocràtic i terratinent es va anar formant el jove Pla afeccionat a les lectures joseantonianes. Pla fou un bohemi que va aprofitar els esdeveniments polítics. L’any 1940 Josep Pla és nomenat censor de la Delegación de Prensa y Propaganda, en temps del governador Correa. Però Pla no va aguantar gaire temps la vida política. En les darrers anys hom encara recorda veure’l assegut en una habitació de la seva casa destartalada tot llegint un llibre cobert de pols com la resta de la casa. Era afeccionat a la beguda. La seva despreocupació i les poques ganes de treballar el van portar a aquest final bohemi en plena decadència personal i d’una de les famílies de l’alta aristocràcia torroellenca. És lamentable que un personatge que va passar sense pena ni glòria hagi originat tantes polèmiques.” El director de Destino Néstor Lujan retrata un censor de Correa: “Cobró de la Gestapo, como cobraban todos los sinverguenzas que ilustraron el gobierno civil de Correa.” Un doble de Pla doblement blau, pocavergonya, no bohemi.

(“Josep Pla de camisa i sang blaves,” per Josep C. Vergés, Diari de Girona, 21 desembre 2014)