INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS
9, AVENUE D'ORSAY,
PARIS-VI
St/H
Telegrams : inter fed-paris
Telephone : invalides 45-88
AFFILIATED COUNTRIES :
Argentine Austria Belgium Canada Czechoslovakia Dantzig Denmark Dutch East Indies Estonia Finland France Great Britain Greece Holland Hungary India Luxemburg Memel Territory Mexico Norway Palestine Poland Roumania South Africa South-West Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Yugoslavia
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE : President : W. M Citrine, Great Britain
Vice-Presidents : H. Jacobsen, Denmark ; L. Jouhaux, France : E. Kupers, Holland; Corn. M ertens, Belgium : R Tayerle, Czechoslovakia
General Secretary : W Schevenels
Letter F. J. de Sol
No. 429
Registered
9th April 1937.
Mr Walter M. Citrine
LONDON.
Dear Comrade Citrine,
When I was with our last convoy in Madrid, I went out to see the front at Guadalajara, and I saw the town of Brihuega which had been taken. I found there documents, military books and copies of official letters which show the high state of organisation of the Italian army in Spain.
As I imagine you may be interested in seeing this evidence, I am enclosing the documents herewith, and should be glad to have them returned after perusal.
In Valencia, I saw the Italian officers who had been taken prisoner, and had a long talk with a major who told me that he would not talk politics as he was only obeying the orders of his military superiors and of his government in coming to Spain. Then I talked about the battle of Guadalajara, however, in which he had been captured, and tried to find out his impressions of Franco's army, he replied: 'Whatever are you talking about Franco's army for? It is an Italian army!" - not realising for the moment that he was giving away more than he had meant to!
I am also enclosing a copy of a drawing, made for me by Julius Deutsch, who as you know is a general in the Spanish Army, showing the state of the front just before I left Spain.
Yours sincerely,
G. Stolz, Assistant Secretary:
