We saw in Spain (pamphlet)
1937 Spain Fights for Democracy By the Rt. Hon. C.R. ATTLEE, M.P. I HAVE returned from my visit to Spain with a deep affection for the Spanish people, and with intense admiration for the courage and enthusiasm with which all of them, men and women alike, are facing this crisis in the life of the nat...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English |
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[c.1937]
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/DFFDE5F2-A0AE-4F39-8689-0A41C973B6FE http://hdl.handle.net/10796/9177BDF8-F5B0-444F-8049-4A614147CD2C |
| Summary: | 1937
Spain Fights for Democracy By the Rt. Hon. C.R. ATTLEE, M.P. I HAVE returned from my visit to Spain with a deep affection for the Spanish people, and with intense admiration for the courage and enthusiasm with which all of them, men and women alike, are facing this crisis in the life of the nation. I found a people long disunited achieving unity under the pressure of foreign aggression. The guns and bombs of General Franco and his Fascist backers have killed many men, women and children; have destroyed cities and villages; and even parts of the capital; but they have raised the spirit of a great people. They have caused all true Spaniards to sink political differences and sectional interests in the cause of democracy and the salvation of the nation. Wherever I went I found a spirit of confidence and enthusiasm. There was no defeatism in Republican Spain. The people hated war and longed for peace, but they were resolved not to submit to tyranny. I had expected to find a good deal of confusion. I found order. Despite the war, people carried on their ordinary work. The basic services of a civilised community were being fully maintained, even in Madrid. I was deeply impressed by the new army which has been created. It was obvious that the men were keen, and they were of excellent quality. The training was highly efficient, the relationship between officers and men excellent. The creation of a great army of more than 600,000 men in the midst of a life-and-death struggle is a most remarkable achievement. Throughout, the Republic has been greatly hampered by the denial of its right to obtain arms for its defence. In my view the policy of non-intervention is responsible to a great extent for the food difficulty, and the acquiescence in the activities of the Fascist powers in their efforts to starve the people of Spain. There has been a great deal of propaganda designed to represent the Spanish contest as one between rival ideologies, Fascism and Communism. I believe that this is entirely false. The Government of Spain is composed of men of various political and religious views, including fervent Catholics, such as the Minister of Justice. There are hundreds of thousands of good Catholics supporting the Republic. The real contest in Spain is between liberty and tyranny. The Spanish Government has the right to defend itself against rebellion from within and aggression from without. Continued acquiescence in a one-sided non-intervention has made the British Government an accessory to the attempt to murder democracy in Spain. I do not believe that this is the will of the British people. l would appeal to all those who believe in freedom and democracy to bring all the pressure they can upon the Government to alter its policy, and also, individually, to support the organisations which are sending food for the Spanish women and children. Above all, I would appeal to every member of the Labour Party to do his utmost in the coming weeks on behalf of the Spanish people. SAVE SPAIN - SAVE BRITAIN
292/946/18a/69(ii) |
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |