The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-15

Socialists.
They have been pouring into
Madrid by the thousands. Re-
cruiting is going on all over
France. The French government
shuts its eyes TO it, and the
Conservative opposition in the
Chamber of Deputies says nothing
about 1t because 1t hates Germans
far more than 1t hates COM
communism.
There Is lot Of difference,
however, between the men Hitler
has sent to help the rebel General
Franco and the French volunteers
who have gone to the aid Of the
Spanish government.
Hitler sent bunch Of pink
checked SS boys Drown Shirts
trained in goose-steeping along
the Inter der Linden, smashing
Jewish shop windows and heiling
Hitler. In SPANS bloody, un-
organized guerilla fighting they
have been dismal failure.
Tough Customers
The French are seasoned vet
Grams of the African wars, men
who had spent ten years or so
fighting the Riffs (Moroccans).
The Riffs have been the back
bone of Frances army. Without
them he would have got no.
where. Whenever his supply Of
Riffs got low he appealed to the
tribal chieftains of North Africa
and got fresh supply, transport
ed across the Mediterranean in
Italian and German planes.
Spanish militiamen, terrified
even at the name Moroccans,
melted before them. They
hardly waited to do combat. The
Moroccans are among the brav-
est fighters in the world.
Their tactics always Is to at
tack. The sheer audacity of their
attack unnerves the foe.
But the French veterans know
the Riffian game. Their system is
to withhold fire. They take one
-two-three puffs on the Gig
arctic after q Riff charge starts.
Then they let them have 1t.
That is what checked the adj
vance on Madrid. A Frenchman,
incidentally, organized the de-
Tense.
Franco Flop
Best intelligence reports re-
ceived here from sides both SYM
pathetic with and opposed to
Franco are that he is licked. 1t
Is conceivable that he may take
Madrid, but after that his strength
will be dissipated. Also, 1t will
take months Of hard campaigning
to clean up the rest Of Spain,
most Of 1t extremely hostile to
Franco and his Moroccans.
There are three reasons for
frances flop.
1. Support of the loyalists
by Socialists and Communist
fighters from all over Europe
in addition to the French, who
bore the brunt Of defending
Madrid.
2. Wavering support Of
Franco by the Italians, per-
haps even by the Germans.
3. The end of Frances sup
ply Of MorOccans.
The last Is the most important
factor of all. For a time 1t looked
as If the number of Moroccans
ready to die for a general they
never saw and in q cause they
knew nothing about was inexhaus-
tible. Once Franco had to fly to-
Africa himself to plead his case
with the Riffian chiefs, came
back successful.
But now the stream has stopped.
Apparently word has got back to
Morocco that the Spanish war
Is not just looting. that large
percentage of Morocco's black
soldiers never will return.
Italian Withdrawal
One Of the deals arranged be-
tween the British and Italians as
a part Of their new era of friend
ship was for the withdrawal Of
Italian troops from the Balearic
Isles potential Italian naval base
In the western Mediterranean ac-
tually owned by SPAIN. Also
Mussolini promised to taper off
italian support for Franco.
This now seems 10 be happen.