The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-19
World Front
BY HARRY CANNES

vengeance wreaked against
the revolutionary workers of
glorious Asturias. We call the
attention especially of all So
cialists to this letter, as it was pub
lished in the last issue of the
Socialist New Leader"
The editors make it clear that
they did not miss the message of
the letter and head it, @Murderous
Fury of Spanish Reaction Told in
Letter" The most important sec
ton of the document reads:
The destruction of the town Of
Oviedo was done by the govern
ment's n1ercenary troops, which.
riding roughshop over international
law, brought to the town the Moor
ish troops of the Riff and the
abominable Foreign, Legion.
With these people, plus the ar
tillery and air force, the Lerroux-
Gil Robes government not only
destroyed the town of Oviedo,
which the Moors and the Legion-
naires set fire, pillaged and devas-
tated, but also the entire country
side of Asturias.
I'm the villages of Villablino,
Vega de Rey, and others, the people
shot were burned in piles, wounded
and dead together.
In Oviedo in one afternoon, in
the courtyard of the Convent OF
Sapto Domingo, the legionnaires
and Riffians shot more than TOO
prisoners, the most horrible thing
being that among them were women
and children.
There is a photograph of this
which will be published in a book
already prepared by the Socialist
international in Paris.
Altogether, in Asturias, the gov
ernments n1ercenary troops have
executed nearly 1000 workers and
they have put more than 5000 in
prison.
lone detail: To advance, Lopez
Ochoa put prisoners in front of the
troops to paralyze the miners &C.
ton and once the advance was ac-
complished, he shot them all.
To-day in Spain there are $4,000
prisoners who are being killed by
hunger and brutal treatment. It
is more terrible to be prisoner
than to be shot.
Nineteen Socialist members of
Parliament representing Asturias
are in prison.
youths. revolver in hand, run
through the streets setting fire to
everything and killing whoever
seems to be a Socialist.
1--WE look for help in the foreign
press, so that the 'clandestine'
murder in Spain should cease.
They go on with the comedy of
trying to dispute with death the %
men condemned by the tribunals
when, without tribunals, they have
killed more than 5000 persons in
the peninsula.
AND should it ever be the lot Of
A this Socialist woman in Spain,
whose message cannot fail to
arouse the anger and desire for ac-
ton against fascism in the breast
of any worker, to read the same
issue of the New Leader in which
her letter appears she will not find
one single word of answer to her
appeal. She can earnestly look Tor
help for her imprisoned comrades,
she can wait until hundreds have
died or have been killed, but not
one word up to date will she find
in the Socialist New Leader answer
ing her plea for defensive action.
for concrete proof of interna-
tional solidarity
She can, on the other hand, learn
that on q score of occasions the
Daily Worker, central organ of the
Communist Party, directed fervent
| appeals to the National Executive
Committee of the Socialist Party,
urging just such international ac-
ton as every imprisoned Asturias
| worker would want in the United
States. She will learn that there
never was one word of reply.
ESPECIALLY in Asturias, with
- which this letter most concerns
itself. will the workers feel the Bit
ter disappointment of the failure Of
the American Socialist leaders to
take immediate steps for a united
front in their defense. For it, was
in Asturias where the united front
of Socialists and Communists was
established before it was through-
out Spain 1t was in Asturias
where the Workers and Peasants
government was set up jointly by
Socialists and Communists. 1t was
in Asturias where the workers hero
ically held power, Socialists and
Communists shedding their blood as
the shock troops of the Spanish
revolution, holding out SO that the
workers in the rest of Spain could
defeat the fascist butchers.
1t is to the heroic Asturias toilers
that the Socialist leaders will have
to account for their silence on the
united front.
Every Socialist must ask his
leaders: What answer are you GO
ing to give this Socialist woman?
Five thousand have been slaugh-
tered, she says. Thirty eight
thousand face death or worse.
Socialists and Communists are
concerned here; the whole work.
ing class of Spain is concerned.