Evening star., 1936-09-03

n UbUtu uCCO6Ht VI 6oOCWtuI co
that betel tiDo young Americans in
War-torn Spain is giuen here. Rob-
ert J. Clements and his brother
Sterling, OF Cleveland, faced death
by firing squad after being
thropn into jail in the Communist
town OF La Cd1pana, but Uere re-
leased by Fascists and made their
Wdy to Gibraltar and then to Ma
Piles. Robert J. Clements is pel
kno,Dn as a uriter under the pen
name OF wellington Brundaoe.
BY ROBERT J. CLEMENTS.
The travel agencies in Paris said
that Spain was just the place to
spend a fortnight. And San Sebastian
was peaceful along its sempiternal
blue bays. Burgos was somnolescent,
and even Madrid was stately and
calm.
One day there, when we tried to
enter the Palacio Nacional the civil
guards told US that the palace was
closed to civilians for reasons meas
VA ClCcS w llokt.
This was warning. But the call
Of Andalusia with its stucco huts and
naked hills was overpowering. Sc We
decided to brave the Midsummer
July heat Of Southern Spain. Sat-
urday night, July 1s, we boarded the
Seville-Andalusia express despite the
notice in the station that the COM
pany could not guarantee service on
southern lines.
At dawn we open our eyes, . bare
plain. The train had stopped. Every
one awake and walking about the
compartment. adding . babel Of dia-
lects to the sound Of escaping steam.
Looking out of the window we see q
sign near the tiny station: Fl Carpio.
Revolution Causes Delay.
why the delay?" we ask q man
behind us, nervously rolling q cigar
cite.
1T is the revolution" he says.
The day becomes tropical. and
pretty soon all drinking water is gone
The engineer drains the boiler for the
sake of the thirsty passengers in mid
afternoon, and some one produces
olive oil, cakes and bread to eat.
A hot, sticky night in the train; by
by morning every one drinking the
dangerous (if cooD we'll water of the
village. We strike of in the morning
to the highway some miles away and
finally find Q truck willing to take
Us to Cordoba.
At the city limits guards searched
US thoroughly. our baggage Is well.
We learn that bus is to leave for
Seville in the evening, and, as there
is no American consul here, we de-
cided to head for Gibraltar via Seville.
We have wait Of several hours.
Safety Is Assured.
My brother and I go to the military
commander to get passes authorizing
us to proceed southwest. The huge
barracks are crowded with excited
people, but the commander is smiling
and calm. As his adjutant composes
and stamps the necessary passes, he
gives US assurance Of our safety, and
Is sorry that our trip must be altered,
speaks with fervor Of the beauties of
Andalusia, which we are to see next
time.
Our bus starts, stops at the town
Ecija-and there we stayed for sew
eral days at the hotel. There was
no traf1c permitted through to Seville.
After five days in this old town
news comes that Carmona was In
the hands of the rebels and that
we could proceed to Seville, where
there was an American Consul. We
hire an old Paige taxi for the trip,
making the necessary demarches at
the military commandery.
At Carmona we have the usual
guns pointed at our taxi. We are
asked who We were and what we
wanted.
"Pues, the taxi can't pass, because
the Carmona bridge has been burned
by the Loyalist peasants. And you
can't pass, for we, the Loyalists, have
taken the town back this morning."
+ We decided to circle Carmona by q
lonely road to the north, and to
continue on to Seville. Two hours
up the lonely carretera, we are in
the hornets nest Of La Campana, q
Communist village faithful to Leftist
Madrid.
Some 500 yards from town .
crowd Of 200 armed peasants spring
out from the roadside, covering US
with shotguns. Up the road at .
cautious pace comes q small man,
beckoning US to stop.
Get out of your car" he calls.
It = to him, the Mayor, that we