To the Editor of the "Norru-Cuma Dairy News"
Sm,—A few days ago a controversy about the Spanish question arose in the columns of a well-known daily of this cosmopolitan city, and though I am out of the question, I seize the opportunity to afford to fair-minded people a few facts that will enable them to judge accurately about the Spanish drama—and for this I ask an undeserved place in your well-minded daily.
When the Republic was proclaimed seven years ago, many an honest Spaniard thought he had found the philosopher's stone that would turn into happiness his daily toil. But this hope wa: short-lived, and an era of chaos and desperation followed the rejoicing for the new-born regime. Destitution—fines—imprisonment—sack—fire—dynamit murder! And all that without a single word of blame from the then government. How could the members of that government blame such acts—they were the price of their places in the government?
And what did that government care for the welfare of the country?
(a) They dismembered the army by forcing 12,000 officers to retire.
(b) Disorganized the navy by selling several men-o'-war (c) Killed agriculture by their absurd laws and their whimsical taxes.
(d) Fomented class war and religious hatred.
(e) Deprived some 800.000 schoolboys of free instruction.
I could easily go through the whole alphabet—and ten alphabets more—to find a grievous outrage committed by the "Loy cor-li responding to each lett Finally, by their behaviour, and the means they used to seize the power, the Frente Popular was deprived of all legality.
The Lefts, by brute force, with the help of the police, seized the ballots of the constituencies of Corunna, Pontevedra, Ingo, Caceres, Cordoba, Sevilla, and altered them in their favour. In this way they managed to get a small majority in Parliament. The first act of this majority was to mul totally or in part the elections in Granada, Cuenca, Salamanca, Burgos; so that the left obtained a fictitious majority enabling them to form a government which was illegal from its origin.
From the assumption of power in February. 1936. to the outbreak of the uprising (July 17, 1936) the Government of the Frente Popular was responsible for the following crimes: the burning of 8 churches, four newspaper offices. 36 political centres, and 92 private houses, It killed 256 persons and injured more, than 1,600 Tt seized without indemnification 300 private properties and closed more than 800 Catholic centres (colleges and schools). ing of the military uprising the "Government" has murdered or itted the murder of hundreds of thousands of defenceless citizens, has burned thousands of churches, has violated tombs and sacred vessels, has killed children and violated women, has destroyed artistic treasures, and, in short, has committed such acts of unspeakable horror that I am sure, when the hideous truth becomes fully known, the voice of the whole of mankind will cry out against and condemn those responsible for the greatest disaster in the world's history.
Who will dare to say that the government that permits such acts is a government legitimate in the exercise of its power? And let nobody say that these crimes are a result of the uprising—Oh, no- There have been found "black-lists" and "instructions and countersigns" issued by the Socialist and communist party of Madrid, showing complete details of the movement which the communists had prepared and which proved abore tive only by the fact that the Nationalist rising anticipated them by two days, 'And then, "in none of the regions under the 'Nationalists have women and children been assassinated. The hand of justice has fallen only' upon the criminals condemned by a military tribunal.
As for those who only accept as reliable their own prejudices, let them know that if the Nationalists have accepted foreigners to side with them, it has been when it was clear that thousands of internationals had Joined the "Loyalists."
From the very outset of the uprising foreigners played a prominent part on behalf of the then "Madrid Government." There is Irun, with its Belgian and French officers directing its defence; Toledo, with soldiers of sundry nationalities—and what would have happened to Madrid without the "International Brigade"? Finally, there you have the Russian Ambassador—the criminal Rosenberg presiding over the Spanish Cortes! As for the price the Nationalists will give for this help, we have but to Femember, the explicit' declaration of General Franco that "Not a single inch of national territory will, be offered to any foreign power." The prize, we believe, will be on the political and economical ground.
If we now consider the work accomplished by the Nationalists, we shal soon perceive their complete success in bringing their country to a state Of relative prosperity in spite of the war. There is the "Social Help" (Auxilio Social) which daily cares for thousands of children indiscriminately of their parents' political ideas or deeds.
There you can see thousands of wounded "Loyalists" receiving identical treatment with the Nationalists. There you find the compassion and respect that naturally arises in the presence of weakness and misfortune. And the cause?—the cause which destroyed Spain's treasures was hatted, the cause which builds up a new Spain is love.
Listen well, O you all, anarchists, not terrorists' of Salvoechea, syndicalists of the C.N.T. and socialists of the Li International of Pablo Inglesias—don't be terminal, listen and look at Franco, here he is. with us, bringing long for and for which you burn your to (a, happy end many things you country and murder one another. (General Millan de Astray).
And if we turn to social justice, who will not elevate an altar to that up-to-date knight who simultaneously wins the war and saves the economical life of his country? He already has decreed that No Spaniard will suffer from hunger, while it is not suffered by all, "Let him who is hungry go to his Mayor and say: "My children and I are hungry, and Franco does -not allow this, give us something to eat.
1 could adduce scores of similar messages showing the backbone of the new Spanish State, and at the same time show by facts that these expressions are not merely to satisfy the ear, for many are already put into practice. But for brevity's sake I will' end with the words the Caudillo pronounced ona momentous occasion—in Spain there will be "No hearth without fire, nor table without bread."
And now I pray those who are in communion with the above stated opinions to raise their arms—in an amiable way—so as to reconcile us with the brothers we have on the other side of the trench, and with all their might express the common feeling of the greatest past of the Spanish people. by shouting:—Espana Una! Espana Grande! Espana Libre
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.