The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-06
Describes Conditions IN
Rl6fan War, Nicaragua

IN three columns, commanded by
the best officers in the Spanish
army, and the whole commanded by
General Berenguer, the kings lieu
tenant in Morocco. One column ad-
vanced toward the north, on the
city, the left column toward a range
OF hills on the southwest of the city,
and the right column toward an
other height on the southeast.
Our plan was very simple-to use
every rock and tree as a point of
defense, and when opportunity Of
fered to attack any exposed section
of the Spanish line. We could not
use the machine gun as we had no
ammunition for it, there being bare
ly enough to supply about seventy
rounds per man.
The Spaniards had one regiment
of field artillery and four batteries
of mountain artillery (about eighty
pieces), plus five companies of ma
chine guns, forty-eight machines,
three squadrons of cavalry, and one
squadron of aeroplanes.
The battle began shortly after the
Spaniards began their advance. Our
well-aimed volley drove their cavalry
off the field, as we occupied all the
vantage-points. About twelve O'Clock
the Spaniards, in spite of their ar
tillery, machine guns, and over
whelming odds, had advanced about
one mile and half. From rock to
rock, from tree to tree, now here,
now there, we fought and held the
Spanish left, center, or right in
check, and picked off their officers
and men in threes and fours. Their
artillery roared and Numbered, their
machine guns ratified, but never
were we farther than sixty or sew
enty yards from their front line,
firing one shot or volley now and
then. But every one of our shots
or volleys told in their ranks.
At about three o'clock we began
to retreat because our ammunition
was running short. Some of us, in
GLIDING the writer, had about ten
cartridges left. We withdrew to be-
hind the city and here again we
faced about and checked the ad-
vance of the right wing of the
Spaniards. This column was COM
posed of about fifteen hundred men.
Twenty-Five of us faced it.
As the day waned squat came
on and we decided to utilize it and
make last attack on the Spaniards
and do as much as our scanty am
munition would allow. We managed
to get to the right and rear of the
Spanish column and attacked it.
Lieutenant Tablas Pregando, two
captains, and major, were our re-
ward. They fell before our last vol
ley, together with six other men.
The entire column was driven from
the field but we had no ammuni-
ton with which to pursue them.
IHOSc WHO DelleNe tIldL StTeHRtn
is all will not know what to think
of what have written, but let these
persons know that psychologically
where there is will, there is way
and in the will to fight there is also
the will and seed Of victory. And,
materially, the unknown factor is
a constant in warfare. In battle, the
invader never knows what is the
strength of his enemy and conse-
quently he has to proceed very eau
tiously.
SANDING could do more in Mica
ragua than he is doing. He is in a
better position to wage war against
the American invader than we were
in the Riff war, to wage war against
the Spaniards first, and later against
the Spanish and French combined.
Let him learn from the Riffian cam
naigns. and carry on the more reso-
lutclA