Press release. No.193 : English edition

              See Page 2
GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA
PRESIDENCIA
COMISSARIAT DE PROPAGANDA
Avinguda  14 d'Abril. 442 bis
BARCELONA
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COMUNICAT DE PREMSA
ENGLISH EDITION NUMBER 193
BARCELONA MARCH 17
"UNCENSORED" NEWS ?
The "Daily Herald", one-time champion of the workers' cause, is now reduced to using one of the well-worn tricks of some of the capitalist newspapers. In its issue of March 13th, there appears on the front page an article, above the initials W.N.E., purporting to be a true account of affairs in Spain. "Censorship is strict;" it says, "but there comes out, nevertheless, a steady trickle of uncensored news, and it is all to the same effect." It is very difficult to see why uncensored news should necessarily be trustworthy. Is it not possible in a country like Spain, where the censorship is not exercised by the capitalists in their own interests, that censorship may be imposed to prevent enemies of the Republic from spreading false reports?
The article asserts that "the Anarchists and Syndicalists are still more concerned with fractional conflicts than with winning the war. And Catalonia still sullenly refuses to play any adequate role."
It can only be assumed that this information was supplied to W.N.E. either by some person who had never been in Catalonia or else someone with a direct interest in belittling the heroic efforts of the Spanish peoples.
We in Catalonia know how much truth there is in that statement. In everyone's mind there is but one thought - the WAR. The war must be won. Every political party and trade union has demonstrated publicly that the winning of the war must be the dominating factor of every activity. Factional differences can wait.
We in Catalonia know too that the people are mobilizing, in the early morning and evening we see the streets filled with young men drilling, we hear the shouts of the instructors and the beating of drums. We saw the huge march past of the volunteers a fortnight ago, we heard their shouts of "Visca l'Exercit Popular" - 'Long live the Popular Army'. We were present too at the huge mass meeting in the bull ring when an officer of the Popular Army stood up and pledged himself on behalf of the Army to defend the people of Madrid.
Safe in an office in London it is easy to discredit and belittle the heroic fight against international fascism which is being waged on Spanish soil, but if we are not victorious in that fight, London may be the next martyred city.