The Washington times., 1936-09-18
REBEL CHIEFS
FAMILY HELD
BY REDS
White Filters Reveal
How They Bombed
Madrid AirfieId
By H. R. KNICKERBOCKER

Tie system Oh 1lOSIdSeS mas DSeu
developed to a fine art. Our gen.
Grafton may be inclined to believe
that it was the bolShevikS in Rus
STA who renewed the ancient and
medieval device of holding the
families of political enemies cap
tive with the threat of death.
But the history of Spain shows
this country has always used
every conceivable method of war
fare in it's numerous civil con-
flictS, and the use of hostages
today is only an old Spanish ira
dition.
Both sides in this war hold
numerous hostages, but the reds
have the most. None we're more
prominent than the wife and
daughter of General De Llano,
held captive by the Reds in
Malaga. What a position to be
in! Here in Seville General De
Llano was directing the white adj
vance on Malaga. But in Malaga
were his wife and daughter. No
wonder the general expressed him.
self so emphatically in his nightly
radio talks that sometimes even
his discourse was censored for the
Seville press.
But the general got his wife
and daughter free. I asked him
to give me the details Of their
escape, but he believed it would be
indiscreet. So much may at any
rate be said that it was a consul
of a foreign power who helped
them out of the beleaguered city
where the power has paSSd almost
entirely from the constitutional
authorities to the hands OF the
dreaded anarchists.
I asked the General how long it
would be before Madrid fell. He
replied:
Il have already said once that
it would be taken by August Is,
but now it is long past the 18th,
and I am not riSking any more
prophecies.
"But we are constantly grow
ing stronger and the reds are
growing weaker. The reason why
y we're not able to take Madrid by
the 18th of August was be-
cause our supplies of men and
material came along slower than
/ had expected. Now we are get
ting plenty of airplanes and all
the troops from Morocco We
want, while the redS-Oh, the
redS!"
CANT FIGHT"
The General made slow con-
temptuous motion:
"They aren't capable of any
thing but murder, rape, arson
and atrOCity. They know how to
burn priests alive, but they don't
know how to fight trained sol
dierS."
I asked him if he did not differ
entiate in any way between the
various elements making up the
"Fronte Popular" the Madrid
government, which is supported by
every conceivable left group, from
the moderate Republicans, mod
crate Socialists, extreme Socialists,
Communists and Syndicalists to
the Anarchists. The General ex-
claimed:
"NO, they're all alike. They
are all poisoned by some strange
madness so that all they want
to do is kill and destroy. If we
were to lose this war there
would be left in Spain nothing
but q remnant Of those savage
beasts snarling at one another
over the bones of SPAIN"
I learned here that the Malaga
authorities had shot 20 white
hostages when they discovered the
escape of General de Llano's wife
and daughter.
Shows Field Map
The general invited me into his
map room. On large architects
table he had his general staff map
of Spain. Without the least |
hesitation he pointed out to me
the various fronts, explaining
their strategic significance. Cap
tain Bolin later suggested to me
that a considerable part of the
information must be regarded as
confidential, although by now the
general plan of Frances attack
must be fairly obvious.
After the interview I left Cap
tain Bolin and from another source
heard the first news of the first
serious bombing of the Madrid
airdrome. The White flying Off
GERS were too pleased to keep it
quiet, as indeed there was no rea-
son to hide their success.
It was done with nine of the
giant Junkers, each capable of
carrying ton and a half of bombs.
They flew in one big triangle
formed of three smaller ones, with
a pursuit plane at each rear cor
ner. They dropped perhaps 10
tons Of bombs and were able to
observe that five bombs of 500
pounds each struck in the midst
of Is red airplanes grounded in
front of their hangers. The White
officers were particularly pleased
because they had hit their military
objective, and had not merely scat
tered their bombs as they claim
the Reds do.
Treasury Condition
International News Service
Treasury balance September 16,
42,267, 1863. 1875; miscellaneous re-
ceipts, $3,572 ,089.59; customs re-
ceiptS, $17,079,259.3l.