Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20
Chief of Spanish Yankees"
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Michael Servetus (1511-1553) stealing
half-dead soldiers from the battleflelds
and established much before Harvey, the
theory Of the circulatio of the blood
but just the same (because his road to
goodness did not begin at Geneva)
burned at the stake by Calvin.
The lustiness of Lully, Servetus and
Gaudi belonged to Catalonia,-the
mythical Catalonia of Verdaguer's
poetry, the passionately robust Catalo-
mia Of Guimera's dramas. And, para
doxically enough, from this prolific, In
dustrial corner, from this corner Of fac
tories and machines, of vines, textiles
and ceramics have come most OF
SPANS modern music and painting.
hut why do these Hellenic Gothic
children want to leave their Spanish
mother?
The Galatians feel historically self
conscious. A luminous past and a pro-
ductive present have contaminated
them, If that is possible, with an infec-
tious superiority complex. They have
produced greatness, and they are today
the greatest producers; they provide 10
per cent of SPANS revenues. And why
should they support the entire pro-
crastinating Spanish family? Why
should they be weighed down by ex-
traneous responsibilities? The idea Of
separatism is rooted, to certain ex-
tent, in this Catalan sense OF power ana
adroitness and vitality.
Then again, there are certain gr1ev-
! ances dificult to forget Catalonia be-
came a free nation as far back as BOG.
The twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries marked her first cultural and
political apogee. Elated, she aspired to
become (and to a great degree sue
ceeded in becoming) the mistress OF
the Mediterranean. Her flags and gon-
falons waved over the Balearic Islands.
over Sicily, over Sardinia, over the
coasts of Africa and the Levant Her
language blossomed into robust literary
MASTERPIECES. her dark cathedrals raised
their delicate spires into her blue skies.
For at least three centuries Catalonia
dominated, culturally and economically.
a very vital part Of Western civilization.
The discovery of America took away
can shrank overnight; Mediterranean
supremacy came to mean almost moth
ing. Europe precipitated herself into
the Atlantic. CASTLE consolidated Spain,
and Spain conquered Europe and the
Americas. CASTLE was the magnet in
| the desert, forcing all glances to two
bIighting or beneficial centers: First,
Toledo, then Madrid. CASTLE unified
every significant effort, every fertile ex-
preston.
Catalonia feared, admired and hated
CASTLE much before Columbus and the
, Catholic Kings, but gradually the Hap6-
burg and the Bourbon tentacles, stretch
| ing out voraciously, changed her rear
| and admiration into sheer hatred.
Since the centripetal, epic days OF
| Charles I to those of Alfonso XIII
| for these 400 years-Catalonia has tried,
persistently and irretrievably, to save
her national ethos. 1t has been PAIN
full struggle, quite harmful 10 manKino
at large, for Catalonia Is extremely rlcn
| in genius and most Of her great minos
chose to be Catalan first and gentuses
| last.
In TIA Philip v deprived Catalonia
of her Cortes and liberties. A barren
century followed. Crushed, she sank
into a horrtd lethargy, only to awake IN
! the nineteenth century, eager TO race
| the pressure of historical events. From
! 1922 on, year after year, Spain tooK
away from her; the penal code tne
right to teach and use the Cataian AN
guage, the commercial code, the com
age privilege, the regional aoninlstra-
All this may sound like q terrible
! accusation. But no, Spain Is not en-
! tirely to be blamed. An exaggerated
| sense of ratriotism frequently prompted
| Catalonia to implore help from France
or even England, and naturally tne
| old Spanish lioness did not exactly
enjoy the unrlly behavior and had 70
show her sharp claws now ana Vnen'
On the other hand, circumspect nus
! NH0daRfQQ2 has
| claimed that it was when governed
mot by the Catalan but by the Castil-
| ian dynasty" that Catalonia reacnec
the crest Of her culture"
Nineteenth Century Products.
The nineteenth century brought
about the Catalan renaissance: Hymns,
flags, newspapers, riots. Catalonia
sayedI poets and dramatists cleaned
and trained the prohibited, much
! abused language. An excess OF pas
sion flowed from printing presses, soap
| boxes, stages and pulpits. Catalonia
asked her autonomy from ALFONSO
| XII, from the Queen Regent, IRON
Primo de Rivera, from Alfonso xii
To no avail. But Catalonia existed,
! Catalonia disconnected and frightened
! Spair. There were the Centre Nacion-
| al Catala, the Unto Regionansta, the
Lliga; there was man named CAMPO
and another named Macia. The Gaia"
Ian ideal crystallized and Catalan Woros
! gave 1t emphatic Specification:
I'VE want:
al. An autonomous Catalan state
with sovereign power IN internal
affairs;
-. A Catalan Parliament or legisla-
tive assembly, responsible to the Cata-
Ian people;
only to Parliament;
90 Institution Of Catalan law;
as. Catalan judicial power with 9
high court of appeal for all cases In
Catalonia;
"6. Oniclal recognition of the Gaia.
Ian language and free use of 1t IN al
functions, public and private;
~. Federal union Of the different
parts Of Spain, controlled by a centra
authority in Madrid responsible for for
eign affairs. relations between the fed
eral states, army and navy, genera
communications, coinage. weights ane
measures, commerce, customs, ETC."
Alfonso XIII shrugged his shoulders