Montana labor news., 1936-09-03
CRUELTY OF REBELS, AIDED BY NAzI5,
FAILS TO BREAK SPANISH WORKERS SPIRIT
By PIERRE VAN PAASSEN
By Federated Press
(By Airplane to Paris)


German cruisers are lying outside
every Spanish port. Hitler will try
to step in and land marines to re
store order" is to say, put Fas-
cist Gen. Franco in the saddle-the
moment the rebels cause seems
hopeless.
Franco, who says he will shoot
half the population of Spain in pun
ishment for voting the Peoples
Front government into power last
February, has already received 20
bombing planes of the heaviest type
from the Nazi dictator and 20 more
from Mussolini.
AS a result, the decision in the
Spanish civil war is drawing near.
Either shameful, inhuman, mediae-
val barbarism triumphs once more,
or the people achieve their complete
freedom. There can be no comprom-
Use. The middle way is out. Liberal
ism is finished. Either Socialism or
Fascism emerges victorious out of
this bitter struggle that will go
down as milepost in the history Of
mankind's emancipation.
If Fascism WINS the international
position of France becomes painful
to behold. A third hostile military
'front.' supported by Mussolini and
Hitler, will be created in the Pyre
nees. Frances sea route to her At
rican empire and Frances man
power will come under the fire of
Italy's and Germanys aerial and
naval bases which the rebel Franco
is willing to give them in the event
he wins But if Fascism is defeated
in Spain, the Spanish revolution re-
ceives a mighty impulse, the Peo-
pies Front in France is strengthen
ed, the western democracies will be
consolidated and the whole of Eu-
rope will have had proof that under
certain circumstances the people in
arms are stronger than the organ
lied army.
The Fascists are fighting with the
ferocity and ruthlessness that is ex-
pected of them. In Saragossa every
single member of the Peoples Front
has been assassinated. Hospitals
are bombed on purpose. saw
the Preventorium for Tubercular
Children in the Sierras north of Ma
drid deliberately being taken under
five by the artillery of Fascist Gen.
Molla. The doctor and head nurse
of this establishent had run out to
tell the rebels that only children
were in the home. They were
placed against the wall and shot
without the slightest discussion.
Here in Barcelona 10000 Peoples
Front men are under arms. There
is no looting. Perfect order pre-
walls. Anyone caught trying to loot
is punished with instant death. The
munitions and armament factories
are working overtime. Three
bombing planes a day are turned
out at one plant and at another 10
armored cars are put into operation
every "a hours. Ten thousand men
and women donate their overtime
wages for the purchase of medical
supplies abroad Five hundred
thousand Peoples Front members
gave up smoking and drinking one
day to make money available for
anti-tetanus serum. There is nc
lack of ammunition; food supplies
are plentiful.
The peasants of Catalina are with
the workers. They are barefooted
and ragged, but they have rifles and
they are ready to defend to the
death the land which they have OBJ
tanned at last by seizure after cen
turies of the vilest oppression.
That the unframed, hastily gath
cred Peoples Militia could beat
back Gen, Molla's six-times superior
army north of Madrid has given
everybody confidence that Frances
army will also be stopped and driv-
en- back towards the sea.