Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20

worse still. he declared in public that
he was the heir of Philip V-the heir
of Catalonia's archenemy! Primo de
Rivera threatened Cambo, the greatest
Catalan land therefore the greatest
Spanish) flnancier because he discussed
in Catalan the sterilization OF the
peseta.
And, naturally, when the monarchy
fell, the Catalan "ViSca la Republical
sounded previous to and much louder
than the Castilian viva Ia Republican y
Favor Won by Macia.
There was especially a tall. slender
gray-haired gentleman, kindly man
over 20, who exclaimed Galatians, you
are freel" and the enthusiastic crowd
replied "Visca FranceSc Maciaw Yes
long live Macia. His entire life con-
centrated into this utterance of free
dom. Faithful to the cause of democ-
racy and autonomy, he had endured
imperturbably and quixotically, exile
imprisonment. scorn.
From his birth at vilanova he found
one great motive for his existence and
his action. At school he carried away
all the prizes. all the medals. And after
school, the army-a brave, courageous
truthful soldier won a colonelcy.
Col Macia has a persuasive voice and
definite ideal. The Galatians listened
to him and. contaminated by his en-
thusiasm. followed his trajectory. Events
rushed to a elimination and history
became spectacular. On November 5
from France with handful of gal
liant men. French surety agent:
swooped down, seized the scanty sup
ply of arms and ammunition (bombs
bought at the Flea Market Of Paris
and arrested the plotters.
During the melodramatic trial, or
January 20, 1927, it was disclosed that
| the failure of the rebellion was mainly
due to a certain Ricciotti Garibaldi
grandson Of the immortal hero. The
evidence deposed and Garibaldi's actual
confession showed that he was ian
agent provoedteur in the pay Of the
Fascist government" while the tai.
ian SPY was Kissed and disgraced un-
der shower of inglorious epithets, Col
Macta declared amid enthusiastic ap-
plause that he had organized and ex-
ecuted the expedition with the highest
patriotic motives"
Nevertheless, Col. Macia and is
others were convicted on the charge of
Illegally possessing arms and foment-
ing political plot on French territory
against foreign power" They were
sentenced to two months in jail and
fined 100 francs. The fine was i'm
mediately paid by sympsthizers; and
Col. Macia did not re-enter jail-he had
already spent more than two months
there while awaiting trial When on
March % he left for Brussels, from the
vast crowd assembled in The Care du
Nord came this neat remark: "You.
at least, are not leaving France like
Garibaldil"
changing headquarters. In Brussels hi
wife, son and daughters took good care
lar hours and go to bed early. Macis
smiled and went on working; the poet
Gassol stood close by him. They talked
about Catalonia, they thought about
Catalonia. they planned together the
constitution of q free Catalonia The
poetical hero and the heroic poet shared
q mutual dream. Catalonia would be
free!
And in a few months Macia was or
the road again. The Argentine consul
refused to visa his passport, but Macis
smiling and moving on. What were
frontiers, deportations, exiles? Macis
| Travelled on, spreading and making
| popular his gospel of revolt He was
an inspired canvasser, an ideal publicity
man, using headlines only. Macia't
pilgrimage and adventures kept Cata-
In April, 1880, Col. Macia was par.
doned and his return to Catalonia
marked the beginning of new riots anc
unfortunate clashes, of bloodstaineo
streets and tattered flags and "Visca
Catalunyal" And so Macia was exileo
once more, only to return in February
1891, into boiling Spain, at the eve
Of grieyous happenings. The hour hac
arrived; March ended, and with Apri
ended-the monarchy. The Catalan
looked around for one man, for the
man; no other name sounded, for there
was only one man. Col. Macia was
unanimously acclaimed president of thf
| Catalan Generalitat.
The new statute ("Catalonia is an
autonomous state within the Spanish
| republic" etc.) accepted by the pIeti-
scite of August summarizes the will oi
| 100000 souls, and the will of million,
Of dead in the course of thorny cen.
turtles of struggle Francesc Macia ha,
not lived in vainl May the will of thf
people save the Spanish republic anc
restore Spain to the lofty position shf
/ once held and which now, on a solInde,
foundation, it will be easier for her tc
keepl