Evening star., 1941-01-19
BY DWIGHT PITKIN,

BY DWIGHT PITKIN,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Jan. 18.-English-
men say they are confident Britain
has no fifth column menace.
They give these reasons:
l. The British are one of the most
patriotic peoples in the world.
2. The British government, when
danger of invasion became real
slapped into Jail or internment
camps the people who were most
likely to cause fifth column trouble.
3. Most of the people in England
who had any tendencies toward
fifth columnism were sobered when
they saw what happened in France
and other European countries con-
quered by lightning war.
4. Britain has a traditionally free
press which won't submit to the
type of censorship which permitted
fifth columnists to gain a foothold
in France
Just what, really, is fifth
column?
The term had its origin in the
Spanish civil war. In the autumn
of 1886 the forces of the insurgent
chief, Gen. Francisco Franco. were
marching on Madrid after capturing
Toledo
Boast Set Off Bloody Purge.
Quick victory seemed within their
grasp. Boosting that the occupa-
ton of the Republican capital was
imminent, Frances ace general,
Emilio Mola, remarked:
I'VE have four columns marching
on Madrid. The fifth column is
within the capital"
BY fifth column, Gen. Mola meant
that within Madrid his side had
many SympathizerS who were ready
to rise at the strategic moment and
join in the overthrow of the Repub-
Ican regime.
His boast set off a bloody purge
in Madrid. The Republicans took
no chances; they executed Franco
sympathizers by the hundreds. And
Madrid resisted siege until the end
OF the war in March, 1889.
Gen. Mola won many battles for
Gen. Franco before he was killed
in an airplane crash in 1887. But
history probably will remember him
for the expression fifth column
he gave to modern warfare. rather
than for his ability as a military
strategist.
Like the Madrilenos, the British
people were forewarned about fifth
columns. From their little island
citadel they heard that fifth COL
umns helped Hitler conquer Nor
way. Holland, Belgium and France
So when the nations peril became
acute last spring, they rounded up
about 1000 of their own citizens.
mostly members of the British Fas-
clst Union.
Acted Without Favor.
The government acted without
favor of family or wealth. Tall,
handsome, aristocratic. poWer-hun-
cry Sir Oswald Mosely, leader of
6rltlsh Fascists, was among those
thrown in Jail.
The British were more gentle in
their treatment of fifth columnists
CT potential fifth columnists than
the Spanish Republicans. So far
there is no record of any one being
executed as fifth columnist in
England.
Home Secretary Herbert Morrison
told the House of Commons that
the mental caliber of Sir Oswald's S
followers was found to be we'll below
average.
The British, so sure are they that
their patriotism is proof against
boring from Within" are even
charitable to Nazi propagandists like
Berlin broadcaster Lord HaW Haw.
Many of them listened to him until
they declared him "tiresome." A
show entitled Lord Haw Haw" had
long run in London.
Up to the end of 1910 three men
had been executed in England for
spying, according to official an
nouncements. They were not British
citizens. Two were Germans con-
victed of sneaking into the country
with portable radio transmitters,
and one was a Hollander.
A British housewife. Mrs. Dorothy
Pamela O'Grady was sentenced to
death in December for treason.
Most Famous Spy Case.
England's most famous spy case
to date in this war involved an
American. The British secret serv-
ice suspected leakage of informa-
ton to Germany. They unearthed
evidence which pointed to Tyler
Kent. a code clerk at the United
States Embassy. With the help OF
Ambassador Joseph P Kennedy, the
secret service laid trap for Kent
and arrested him for violation OF
the Official Secrets Act.
1t developed that Kent had become
enamored of Anna Wolkof, daughter
Of former Russian naval attache
at London They worked together ir
relaying information to Germany
through the German Legation ir