Montana labor news., 1937-12-23
OPEN FORUM
Continued from Page 81

We expect to leave tomorrow or next
day and we're aching to go into ac-
ton. Have taken special anti-air-
craft practice with the machine gun
SO when you read in the papers about
the fascist planes being shot down
by the loyalists, you will realize that
I'm on the job.
| have often thought in the past
two months that it is not only a duty
and an honor for a worker to be
here, but it's also a pleasure and
revolutionary education that cannot
be equaled. If we were not the best
of men when we arrived here, we
will certainly be before leaving. The
knowledge and experience that is
being gained by the international
brigades will be of the greatest value
in the world fight against fascism
and war after Frankie and his for
eign legions have been wiped out of
Spain.
This country has been well called
the land of manana" but now it is
rapidly changing in the direction of
becoming a modern industrial power.
Best of all is the progress of its dem
ocratic government in overcoming
the past difficulties of its popular
army. The discipline, which is most
ly self-imposed, has improved SO that
even in the short time of my resi-
dence here I can see a marked
change. The change in this workers
army toward modernization has been
so rapid that the rest of Spanish life
has not been able to keep up its end
in the race against the forces of re-
action and feudalism. In the case of
transportation, for example, we can
see the most modern and costly We
hicles with loads of soldiers and
alongside you will see a peasant
riding a burro or perhaps hauling
stones and mortar in a little dilapi-
dated donkey cart. You can see
peasants in the fields sowing by
hand or pitching hay with a crude
looking pitchfork made from the
root of a tree.
AS we approach them they greet
US with a smile and raise their fists
in the popular front salute. Even
the little children greet us in such
a manner; they say "salud'' and
oftentimes sing revolutionary songs
for us. They know why there is a
war here and call us Volunteers
for Liberty" I must not forget to
mention that the whole of Spain is
very beautiful-just as are the
s~enoritas.
Being ready for the front now, we
have just been issued new wooden
khaki suits, o~vercoats and gas
masks. Both the overcoats and gas
masks yer booty taken from the
~fascists. They have the name Ger
many on the label.
Well, this is about all the time ]
have now and hope to be able to
write again before long.
The whole capitalist world sym
pathizes with the fascists and conse-
quently their economic blockade is
an attempt to starve us into sub
mission. For that reason the active
support of yourself and your union
is greatly needed. Nine-tenths OF
the volunteers over here were &C.
tive in the leadership of their un-
ions in the States. Before learning
that world fascism must be given its
death-blow over the b~arricades, they
first saw the need for building
powerful industrial unions to com
bat reaction and slavery at home
Medical supplies and equipment are
of great need and for that reason
many of the unions in America have
already donated such supplies and
some have even sent over fully
equipped ambulances. The latest
ambulance sent over that l know OF
was donated by the Sawmill and
Timber Workers Union of Aberdeen,
Washington.
l will be most happy when read
ing in the papers that the Miners
Union of Butte is not only continu-
ing its splendid record in the strug-
81 for better working conditions and
wages, but also playing a role in the
fight for world democracy and
progress by actively aiding Spain
against fascist Intervention.
Comradely yours,
HENRY PARROTTE.
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