Spanish news. Vol. 1, no. 12

              SPANISH NEWS
The Organ of the Friends of the Spanish Republic
Vol I. No. 12   APRIL 9th, 1937   Price Twopence
THE LADS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE 
Winston Churchill spilled a mouthful when he said "The International Brigade is composed of the most fanatical revolutionaries in Europe."
No Government Where Franco Has Control 
PALMA, Island of Majorca, — Europe's latest fascist state is Majorca, Spain's largest Balearic island and fief to General Francisco Franco since the beginning of the war. This erstwhile tourist haven to-day presents in miniature preview the type of government with which the insurgents hope to endow all of Spain.
Law and order prevail. But this is law and order after the manner of Italy and Germany. The facets of Majorca's civil life are fear and taxes.
The writer has followed General Franco back and forth across nationalist Spain since the second day of the war. My ears still ring with passionate assurances of what would happen to the "reds" when General Franco gets power. But I have never been able to get satisfactory information as to just how that power would be applied in governing Spain.
Generals, statesmen, and common soldiers agree that they are struggling for "God, country and Spain's traditions," but beyond these vague terms it is evident that this is a revolution to overthrow a government, engineered by rebels who have no programme to offer in its place.
Throughout nationalist Spain to-day there is no government. Gen. Franco's soldiers keep the people quiet until Gen. Franco's war has decided their fate. Civil measures wait upon military measures.
As the first reporter to visit nationalist territory outside the line of battle, I find that Spanish fascism is another term for "state of war." A "state of war" that will continue even after peace is declared.
Majorca, once a lazy island baking in the Mediterranean sun, is to-day organised and disciplined by Gen. Franco's army for the sole purpose of strengthening the power of Gen. Franco's army.
The island is one of the richest of Spain's territories. It feeds itself and the mainland, too. When asked to send 800 sheep to Malaga as a victory gift after this city had been taken by the insurgents Majorca sent a shipload of 3,000.
Majorca's share in Gen. Franco's war chest was 30,000,000 pesetas (at par, £2,000,00). But this vast sum represented only a 3 per cent. tax on Majorcan property owners and invested capital. This was a levy on the rich.
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Meet General Jose Miaja 
THE defence of Madrid and the surrounding fronts rests on the burly shoulders of a blunt, hard-bitten soldier — General Jose Miaja.
From a stuffy little office in cellars of a vast building he has directed the Loyalists for nearly four months now in their stand against the epic siege of the capital, and for several weeks he has also commanded operations on the Jarama River front, where the fate of Madrid is now more surely being settled than here in the city itself.
All this is merely to say that General Miaja is the most important military figure to rise in Loyalist Spain.
The head of the defence of Madrid disdains brilliance, inspiration and suppleness for solid, hard-hitting tactics of the most obvious sort.
His approach to military problems is not intellectual but empirical and his reliance is upon strength and forthrightness rather than upon speed or methods of trickery.
This attitude towards his work is of course a reflection of his life and character. Miaja comes of working class stock. He was born April 20, 1878, in Oviedo, where his father was employed in a metal factory.
He is still remembered there by workmen from the times when he 
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