The Washington times., 1937-03-03

A firSt-hand description of early
events in the Spanish revolution
at Valencia has reached Father
E. Pfleger, Of Marist College
Brookland, from Carlos Hofmann,
a tradesman whom the clergyman
knew while living in Spain several
years ago.
Under the caption, How ]
Lived Through the Spanish ReVo-
luton" the writer, who fled to
Nuremberg, Germany, when the
radicals took charge Of the gov
eminent and all civilian activities
last July, describes atrocities
against both persons and prop
erty. strongly resembling in char
acter the early course of the Rus
sian revolution 20 years ago. He
wrote:
"On Monday, July 20, the gen.
eraI strike began in Valencia.
Every activity ceased, even the
cafes and food stores were not
allowed to open. The entire
traffic, including railways, was
at q complete standstill. One
only saw motor cars with the
inscription: 'C.N.T.' (Syndicated
Anarchistic Workers Party;
"U.G.P.' (SOcialiStic Workers
Union, 'F.A.I.' (Anarchistic
Party, PC Communist
Party. All private cars and
lOrries were taken from the
garages by these party groups.
ALI members of these parties
were provided by the government
with weapons for the fight
against FaScism. The prisons
were opened and all criminals
on leaving had guns placed in
their hands by the Communists.
Fully loaded, these motor cars
rushed through the streets day
and night. The muzZleS of the
guns were pointed from them at
the houses and passerS by. Even
on the running boards armed
men stood with revOlvers in their
hands.
ALL POWER SEIZED
'In order to master the situa-
tiOn the government Of Valencia
appointed a committee of Social
lists, Communists and Anarchists
as the executive authority. Al
ter a few days, this committee
seized all power, I. ; government
was helpless. The orders which
were given by the government
over the wireless were no longer
regarded with any respect. On
Wednesday, July ~, armed Red
hOrdes marched through the
streets, the churches and the
palace of the Archbishop were
to be pIundered and set on fire.
That same afternoon Valencia's
churches, approximately 40 in
number, were burning fiercely.
In q few hours works Of art, the
collection Of q thousand years,
were destroyed.
"At o distance Of about 80
meters I watched events. With
violent rage the portals of the
churches were broken down.
With long poles the Saints
statues were fetched down,
broken In pieces, thrown into
heaps, benzine poured over them
and they were then set alight.
In the Sacristy they stole the
golden vessels, the tabernacIeS
were blown up and the sacred
elements were thrown on to the
floor. Everything which came
into the hands of these hOrdeS
was torn up and destroyed.
Women, dressed in the costly
vestments of the priests, danced
in the streets, celebrating their
work of destruction and brand.
NO ACTION TAKEN
"The government, which is
situated in a building only a
hundred meters away from the
Cathedral, could have sent the
emergency police, which were
still doing duty on that day, but
no action was taken as they did
not want to go against their
own people, Instead of this
the governor called on the citi.
ZenS Of Valencia for their help
by means Of the wireless. He
would perhaps have welcomed it
If these unarmed people had re-
sisted the armed mob, only to be
shot down by them.
"ThiS view was confirmed in
the further development Of the
revolution. The Communists,
the scum of the people, with
dirty, torn shorts, torn trousers;
without shoes and a red arm
band with the sign Of the sickle
and hammer, occupied all the
converts, the inhabitants of
which had long taken refuge in
private houses, dressed in civil
clothes. The former moved in,
with their women folk, and or.
gies celebrated their entry.
That. hOueveF vuaS mt e11ffi.