The Washington times., 1937-05-07

SEEN tNUlNO
SPANISHWAR
HON. tandticaI murder has re-
placed ideGlism In SpGtn'S ciUil
tDdr, hon each side considers the
other beStidl, hotD they indulge
in the most GbomiIGble Gtroci-
ties against humanity" Is de-
Scribed today By H. r. KntceeT-
booker, international Net0S SeTU-
ice correspondent, in the ninth
OF series of articles on the
conflict in Spain. When the
final Victory is non, there t0iH
be a blood-letting "Such as
mould satisfy GenghiS Khan"
Krickerbocker predicts.
By H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
(wOrId Copyright. 1897. by international
News Service. Reproduction IN Wn0AS
VI IN VhEb BtAAopS NAD-F
LONDON, May 7.-Fanatical
idealism began the Spanish civil
war, but fanatical murder Is It's
hallmark today.
Each side in the bloodiest Strug-
gle Of modern times regards the
other as bestial and unworthy OF
human treatment. Each thinks
its cause is humanity'S, and now
both indulge in the most aboml-
nable atrocities against humanity.
When and if either side wins
the victory, it will take a blood
payment from the vanquiShed
such as would satisfy Genghis
Khan.
10000 Whites Murdered
\ In Catalonia, where anarchists
are reported again in control, neu-
trail observers estimate $1,000 white
'lSympathizerS have been murdered.
White officers told me they intend
to kill $4,000 reds when they take
Madrid. I expressed surprise. Ex-
claimed one who had escaped from
Madrid:
"Ah! You can't understand.
Try to put yourself in the place
of myself, who saw with my own
eyes my own father taken out
and shot"
His face was blanched and drawn
at the recollection.
Said another:
"And I have lost IL members
Of my family, murdered by reds.
How many have you lOSt?"
He asked first one, then another,
Of a group of five white officers.
Every man in the group had lost
from two to a dozen members OF
their families.
Insurgent Generalissfmo Fran.
cisco Franco told me he believed
$4,000 had been slaughtered by
red executioners and mobs. That
may be an exaggeration, but hall
that number would not be a high
estimate.
Franco said nothing about the
number executed by his side, but
a number equal to those killed by
the reds would be fair estimate.
Certainly at least a quarter OF
million have been executed by ooth
sides.
The war and all this murder
came when a sufficient number Of
spaniards began to put into effect
the most satanic of all rules OF
conduct, namely, that 1.-The end JUS
titles the means"
Democracy broke down in Spain
when first one and then another
group made up their minds they
were so supremely right and their
opponents so utterly wrong that
violence was justified. ..---
The elections in February, 1895,
showed almost a $3.50 division OF
the people between right and left,
but the left won a majority OF
the seats in parliament and formed
a so-called popular front" gov
eminent of republicans and social
lists. Later, under pressure of the
war, they were joined by Commu-
nists, syndicalistS and anarchists.
At first this government at
tempted to put into effect a pro-
gram no whit more radical than
the New Deal of President RooSe-
kgelt.
Peasants Seized Land
Prominent among the proposed
reforms was scheme for divid-
ing among the landleSS, poverty.
stricken peaSantry the property of
the great landlords, many of them
absenteeS. The landlords resisted
and the peasants began to seize
the land by force.
Swiftly the government, which
originally deserved the name Of
Liberal Democratic, lost control
and mob violence became wide
spread. Soon the name "red"
hurled at the government became
justified as q description not of
the cabinet at that time but of the
regime and power behind it.
Class lines appeared with ugly
harshness and the country was
split into two parts-the HAYES
and the Have-NotS, with the
church and well-to-do republicans,
the monarchistS and the army sup.
porting the HAYES, and lower
middleclaSS workers, ! n d less.
peasants, poor republicans, Social
lists, Communists and anarchists
supporting the Have-Nots:
Spain has little wealth to divide,
and it's peasants are worse off
Tran any I have seen. eXceut in