Evening star., 1939-04-15
Franco 'sTroubIes
Just Beginning, Say
Ex-GuerriI|a Leaders
Two Americans to Tell
Pierce Hall Audience
His Days Are Numbered

Two Americans who were leaders
in the Spanish Republican Corps
known as Sons of the Night" be-
lieve the guerrilla warfare that
drove Napoleon from Spain will
have the same effect on Gen. Franco
The two men. Capt. William Alstron
and 1t. Irving Scott plan to tell
an audience at Pierce Hall tonight
that Frances troubles are just be-
ginning"
They explained in an interview
yesterday that the hatred all Span
iards feel toward foreign invaders
makes the partisan movement grow
and nourishes sympathy for the
anti = Fascist guerrilla warfare.
Franco can't rule Spain as long
as the Italians and Germans are
there" Capt. Alstron explained, "and
he can't do without them"
The two young men-one was a
truck driver, the other a adagio
dancer before going to Spain two
years ago-explained that the guer-
rilla movement, although active for
many years, was organized as a
part of the military service of the
Republican army. These two men
and one other American, a college
professor who was killed in action,
were the only Americans in the corps
of more than 10000 professional
men who served as the guiding force
OF the guerrilla movement.
"Sons of the Night"
It was their job to get in touch
with farmers in the various sections
behind the rear of the Nationalist
troops and organize them into groups
large enough for sharp raids, troops
OF only few men to blow up the
railroads and effect as much military
sabotage as possible and to inspire
in the community the desire to carry
on the work.
They were called "Sons of the
Night they explained, by their
worst enemy, Fascist Gen. Queito de
Llano, because they limited their
activities to the middle of the night
BY day they hid out in the hills
lying between the rocks, trying to
escape detection of the ever-watch-
ful Fascist guards. At night they
were on the move again, each carry
ing on his back a three-day supply
OF food and a knapsack of dynamite
1t was not only dangerous but Cruel
ing, nerve-racking work, as they
describe it.
They found it difficult to sleer
While they hid out in the rocks
because they had to be ever on the
alert. Then during the night they
would have to march miles up and
down the mountains, forcing theil
movements forward at times when
the guards were elsewhere. They
had to lay mines that couldn't bt
detected by daylight and this hao
to be accomplished almost before
the eyes of Fascist soldiers pro.
| tecting the railroad lines. 1t. Scott
the shorter and darker of the two
told how the slightest noise woulc
throw an entire raiding party into
a panic.
"Poked Our Rifles at Stars"
Even the sound of a cow-bel
would have us running to cover tt
hide" he said. I'VE even used tt
poke our rifles at stars as they came
up over the horizon, thinking they
were Fascist troops on the march
The time when 1t. Scott and Capt
Alstron thought their end had
come occurred when they set out
to rescue 80 Asturians held cap.
tive by the Fascists in Moutril. Th,
prisoners got safely through tn.
Fascist lines after the rescue part,
released them, but 1t. Scott ane
his comrade with four others wert
cut of from the group by Fascis
guards. For two days and thre,
nights they shuddled in caves in tn,
area bordering the Mediterranean
Sea which touched almost at tn,
feet OF the fort. They saw the foul
men with them drowned. Wher
they could hold out no lonee,
they swan through a barraRe O,
machine gun bullets, lodged rifll,
flre in no mans land and savet
their lives.
They will speak at 7:3O pm. q
the Fifteenth and Harvard stree
hall under the auspices of tn.
Friends of the Abraham Lincolr
Brigade for whom they are tourinl
the country for the benefit of Amer
lean veterans of the conflict whit
weren't so fortunate in escapinf
machine gun bullets and air bomb
ings.