Evening star., 1938-03-17
BY RICHARD MOWRER,
Chicaso Daily News Correspondent.

oA1VA1kONA, MAICu IL (QclayeO
but uncensored) Yesterday after
noon We passed through Alcaniz on
our way to the front, 20 miles on.
Early this morning we left hlcaniz In
q hurry, with bullets fired. from italian
tanks whizzing over our heads. The
front had crumbled, at least one whole
division had melted away in night and
the victorious advance Of the interna-
tional Fascists continued effortless.
The flight began yesterday. On our
way to Alcoriza we passed groups of
soldiers going in the opposite way.
They were not running, though some
Of them were riding in trucks. They
seemed to be just wandering, but they
were all going in the general direction
Of Alcaniz. They said they were fol-
lowing Instructions: others that their
Officers had gone long ago and every
body else was going to Alcaniz, 50 they
were going, too.
Some Threw Away Guns.
They were fresh recruits. Some of
them had thrown away their guns
because they had been walking along
the road and over broken country for
long time and were tired. They had
only two days growth of beard on
their faces. There was no sign or
sound Of the enemy.
All We had seen Of them was 4
squadron Of II German bombers.
When We saw them we did the usual
thing: We jumped out of our car
and scrambled away from the road
in search Of shelter. But the II Ger
man bombers went on to Caspe to
drop their bombs.
At Alcoriza We were told that the
headquarters Of that sector had been
moved back down the road. We went
back S miles. At Comandante Mo-
desto's headquarters they were herd
ing flock of sheep onto the back
of an open truck.
yes. am here, my stan is here,
everybody is here except the 35th Di-
vision," Modesto informed me, smiling
wryly.
Three ,Sfficers in plain khaki uni
forms, devoid Of any insignias what
ever. came into the room and talked
IN Russian and made pencil marks
on the map stretched over the table.
Soldiers Ask for Ride.
| 1t was dark when we left Modesto.
On our way to Alcaniz retreatine SOL
diers would step into the middle of
the road and hold out their guns and
ask Tor ride. But with one excep-
tion they never insisted and that one
exception did not shoot after US.
MY feet are living hesh,'" one
man complained.
Refugee families on mules and
donkeys or walking alongside carts
piled high with their belongings
mingled with the men going to AL
caniz. 1t was night and they had
gone long way to escape the ad-
vancing enemy. And dirty little
children who had to take twice as
many steps as their parents because
they were so small, cried aloud, thev
were so tired.
Yet there was no panic. Nobody
tried to stop the men. There were
no oficers in sight. A guard at the
Alcaniz Bridge asked to see our papers
but the struggling groups of demor-
alized soldiers piled into Alcaniz and
began to unpack-and Alcaniz was
the division headquarters.
Panic Comes at Dawn.
Panic came with dawn TODAY. We
returned to Alcaniz intending to 20
to Hijar-not knowing that it had
fallen. As We approached Alcaniz
the road was clogged with men,
refugees. trucks, artillery, donkeys,
mules and automobiles, and we Won
dered why Fascist planes did not come
to machine-gun the mess,
Ten or twelve soldiers on the edge
OF the road ran up to the trucks.
others saw them and ran. everybody
ran. and We jumped out Of our car
and ran. But no planes came. From
the ridge behind Alcaniz We perceived
smoke rising from bombed villages 4
Few miles away. A fiickering flame
in the distance suddenly leaped up
ward, topped by = crown of heavy
olack smoke as a gasoline depot
caught fire.
When we entered Alcaniz the town
was almost empty. At the entrance
OF house . soldier was unpacklng
suit case and putting a few things
in his pockets. We got out of the car
and expressed doubts about pro-
ceeding to Hija. Then bursts of
machine-gun fire echoed in the streets
and bullets whizzed over our heads
and inspired our next move. We
turned the car around and worked
our way back into the trafIic jam.
His eyes popping with terror a man
IN the swirling multitude around us
suddenly jammed typewriter be-
tween the car and the spare wheel