Evening star., 1938-07-31
Francois Army Commanded
By 'Shirt>Sleeve' Generals
Men Who Led Raw Recruits to Gates of Madrid
Will Go Down in History as Anthony
Waynes of Spain

DOreo Tor plttance IN the Santiago mar
ket. When he was IL his family emigrated
to Cuba. There Enrique worked IA hours
daily, learning the quarrymens trade. At
night he went to workers school and
learned to read and write He soon became
interested in the labor movement and the
strikes, riots and prison sentences that fol-
lowed only hardened his purpose. The one
thing I learned in Cuba he said later,
was that your own people will exploit
you He returned to Spain in 1927. When
the Civil War broke out Lister led the at
tack on the Montana barracks in Madrid
Later, in the Guadarramas his daring and
initiative soon won him lieutenancy. His
two companies units of the famous 5th
Regiment, voluntarily took an oath never
to retreat until ordered to and to shoot any
comrade who disobeyed. Their motto at
Madrid was mo pasaran! PasarAmos"-
They shall not pass! We shall pass! In
time they became the shock troops and the
backbone of the present Peoples army.
Lieut.. Col. Antonio Ortega differs from
Lister and Camposiano in that he is pro-
fessional soldier. He differs from them, Too,
in temperament. He is soft-Spoken and
unassuming His long thin face mirrors a
definite spiritual quality. But he is second
to none as a tactician. He was born in
Burgos SO years ago and spent his youth
in the Basque provinces. At 18 he joined
the army. BY 1923 he had qualified as
sergeant in an officers training school.
But his Republicanism was deep-rooted.
Expelled from the army for plotting against
the monarchy. he was sentenced to death in
December 1880 after the abortive Jaca re-
volt. But fate was kind. Four months later
the Republican standard was unfurled over
the Kings palace. Ortega was released, re-
joined the army and was promoted to
lieutenancy When the present revolt flared
he was in charge of customs guards at Irun.
I'VE could have held out if the French
hadn't betrayed u.s. he related later.
There were seven carloads of munitions
on the other side The French would not
let them through"
The defenders of 1run-one company
with inadequate arms-held out for three
days. On the morning of the fourth day
fez-adorned Moors and Foreign Legion
naires climbed over the piled-up corpses
of their own dead to enter the blazing
city 1t had fallen-but at a terrific cost
to the beseigers.
Appointed to Governorship.
Ortega was now appointed Governor OF
San Sebastian. But again arms were
lacking Again defense proved hopeless
He withdrew to take command of the Uni
versity City sector near Madrid. Here he
organized the first mixed brigade-the
40th-and his skill as tactician was the
open sesame to rapid promotion.
Most of the shrt-sleeve generals earned
their spurs in the mad November days
when Frances army was coiled like
steel spring at the capitals very gates
Gen. Modesto. 3l-year-old commander Of
the 5th Army Corps, is no exception. He
Is an Andalusian by birth. His life prior
to the revolt was spent in the underground
that was revolutionary Spain. He rebelled
against tyranny and fought for the re-
public. When the Right captured Spain
in 1888 he was obliged to flee the country.
With the triumph Of the Popular Front In
1885 he returned. In the early stages Of
the Civil War he suppressed an artillery
revolt at Getafe. then he flashed the first
radio message ordering a general moboli-
zation. When the Madrid crisis loomed
Modesto organized the Thaelmann Bat
talon, composed of Germa nanti-F -Fascists
and with this resolute band successfully
defended the defiles leading to the threat
ened Toledo gate. From that time on his
rise was rapid. His quick, intuitive in
telligence is complemented by an iron
will. His name is magic to his command.
Campesino. Lister, Ortega, Modesto.
Those are only four of long roster of
shirt-sleeve heroes. There are many others,
though of the others many are not Span
iards. There is Keber and Hans those
mystery men cast up by this war and other
wars. Yet in sense Hans and Kleber are
soldiers of fortune. These Spaniards are
not. They fight on their own hearth They
fight for what they feel is right. You may
not agree with them. Yet you must respect
their indomitable courage.