Evening star., 1938-02-13
WAR|NJUR|ESFA|L
TODETERPAC|F|ST.
Young Robert Raven, Blind
and Manned, Still Fights
Against Fascism.

Robert Raven. q young pacifist who
hated the Fascist taint of the Franco
rebels 50 deeply that he Joined the
Loyalist army, came out of the Span
ish Civil War blind and unable to
walk
But of the so young soldiers here
for the first convention of the Vet
erans OF the Abraham Lincoln Bri-
gade, 1t. Raven, for all his crutches
and black glasses, is the most ener-
getic.
There's no holding him down." Rex
Pitkin, one of those who arranged
the convention, said.
Il was out with him in New York
the other day. We went to a meeting
IN the afternoon, where he spoke. We
talked with people In his apartment
He spoke at dinner. He attended a
meeting after dinner. And then he
talked about Spain until 2 am.
"He Never Stops"
by that time everybody else was
pushed. I was ready to collapse.
But Bob? No. He wanted to stay
up and be doing. He never stops"
Slowly up Pennsylvania avenue and
Constitution avenue 1t. Raven,
wounded in the leg, wounded in the
temple and wounded in the back before
exploding hand grenades tore out his
eyes and broke both his legs, paraded
yesterday on crutches with so other
veterans of Europe's newest war.
"You better 60 in the car. Bob"
they told him before the parade be-
gan.
I'm going to walk"
"You can't"
I'm going to walk. came down
here as an American veteran of the
Spanish war. I'm going to parade
with the other veterans"
So he swung himself along on his
crutches behind the three nag bearers
Of the parade, who held high the Stars
and Stripes, the red, yellow and blue
OF the Spanish Republic and the blue
banner Of the Abraham Lincoln Bri-
gade-the unit Of the Loyalist army
in which the American volunteers are
enrolled.
To Fight Fascism.
After half a mile he couldn't 60
on. He had to proceed the rest of the
parade route, to the Lincoln Memorial
and the Tomb of the Unknown Sol
dier, in an automobile. But he leaned
eagerly out the car window listening to
the band music and the tread of his
marching comrades in their first pub
lie parade. They came from Offices
and schools and learned to fight long
before they learned to drill
1t. Raven aives now in New York
City. Il have come back to the United
States" he said at the Raleigh yester-
day, because feel that I can serve
the fight against Fascism best by
spreading the truth here in America"
He goes about the country lectur-
ing, and he has vivid story to tell.
He left the University OF Pittsburgh,
where he was taking q pre-medical
course, for Spain. He Is learning
Braille now, but his hope Of a medical
career is over.
But he says the sacrifice was worth
It. His story is strange:
Il was pacifist. I never thought
that could kill q man. I resolved
I'd rather 60 to jail than fight.
Hunt Rallying Troops.
But I hate Fascism with every
fiber Of my being. and believe in
living what preach. I went to fight
with the Spanish people because I
know that the only way to guarantee
lasting peace is to wipe Fascism of
the face of the globe"
1t. Raven, "a. deserted a hospital
where flesh wound in his temple
was being treated TO return to the
front and the fate which ended his
fighting days forever
He landed in sector occupied by
unframed rockies receiving their bap-
tism under fire. When the recruits
began to waver before an advance of
the enemy, he sought to rally them
and seized a hand grenade from
young soldier.
Just as he raised his arm to hurl it
at rebel machine gun nest a grenade
thrown by the rebels exploded in his
face. He fell blind and bloody and
tried to crawl away before his own
grenade. dropped to the ground.
should burst. There was no escape.
The second explosion came, and his
legs were twisted and snapped.
"1 ~ ~ q n, arch - ho }peicfad voetar.