The Coolidge examiner., 1937-08-12
The
BuIlfishsers
Now Join
Unions
Malaga Spain before Shot shell marred its beauty
Civil War Makes World Conscious
Of Modern Changes Felt in Spoin

survival of many local ways and
prejudices that bend or break but
slowly.
Irresistibly, however, the cities
put on more modern dress and
quicken their pace. Consider, hasti-
ly, some of the cities and towns
that have figured in recent war
news.
The New York of Spain.
Take a look at Barcelona, the
New York Of Spain. 1t is the largest
city in the country, the most i'm
portant financial and industrial CEN
ter and by far the busiest seaport
The sun shines in air crisp and
exhilarating as you stroll down the
Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona's most
important thoroughfare and indeed
one Of the most interesting and
modernistic streets in the world.
Fine motorcars (no trucks allowed
on this wide avenue) stop and go
at modern American traffic signals.
AT the foot of the Paseo is the
very heart of Barcelona-the Plaza
de Cataluna-a large open space
filed with statues. fountains, flow
er beds, paved paths, and benches.
Always animated, human streams
flow in and out of. its subway en-
frances. The Plaza. too, is the cen
ter Of fierce turmoil in every politi-
cal upheaval. 1t is surrounded by
large. ornate structures-banks, no.
tells, and new telephone Office build
ing with copper-green tower, Yam
kee skyscraper indeed in a Spanish
metropolis
Flying at another corner is a well
come sight for American eyes-the
Stars and Stripes-indicating tn e
splendid Offices of the United States
consulate general.
Use American Cash Registers.
Big signs advertise American au-
tomobiles. Indeed, three-fourths Of
all cars in the Plaza are of familiar
make. There is a large American
bank few doors up the street; in
bookstores are displays of American
fountain pens, and in the tobacco
shops even chewing gum!
All these business houses use
American adding machines n d
cash registers, and the Offices hum
with American typewriters. Many
of the fine new apartment buildings
are equipped with American doors
and electric refrigerators. Here
foreign trade" is a pulsing thing
far removed from the dry statistics
of our commerce.
"Rambla" really means a dry
ravine, but in Barcelona the word
is used to designate a wider street
or boulevard. The original fascinat-
ing Rambla of Barcelona is like no
other thoroughfare in the world! 1t
is a long, straight avenue with
wide promenade for pedestrians in
plane trees.
Busy stores flank the Rambla
from end to end, interspersed with
theaters, cinemas, an ancient
church or two and a large number
of cafes. Under bright, wide avn
ings that canopy the sidewalks and
shade the little tables, idlers sit and
watch the lifeblood Of the metrop-
oils stream up and down its main
artery-streaming at a much quicker
tempo since recent shooting startedl
Like the Paris boulevards, each
section of the Rambla bears a diff
ferent name First come ornamental
kiosks displaying an amazing va
riety of newspapers and magazines
in every European language. Then
comes the bird market. Arranged in
cages of all sizes along the prom
enade is bewildering show of yell
low and brown canaries, gray par
rots from western Africa, green
ones from Brazil, tiny parakeets.
all setting up a lively chatter.
New World Gives Way.
The next section is the brightest
of all-the Rambla de las Flores.
Here open-air flower stalls, bossed
by black-haired peasant women, Of
or flowers of every color and shade.
Love of flowers is one point at least
upon which all divergent political
parties can agree!
Following the flower stalls come
more kiosks where one may pro-
cure ice cream or soft drinks. Build
ings begin to look older now-the
New World gives way to the Old
and finally we come out into the
wide water front, with its ornate
customshouse the tall statue to Co.
lurnbus, and the palm-lined Paseo
de Colon. To the right, in the shadow
of the huge, somber stone barracks,
is long double line of secondhand
is long double line of bookstalls.
Sloping up on the right of the har-
Dor is the high hill Of Montjuich,
with sinister old fort upon its crest.
In turbulent days of riots and
strikes, executions of ringleaders
take place here.