THE FALL of MALAGA Government's Criminal Negligence Responsible
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Consider the origin of all fortunes, whether arising out of commerce, finance, manu factures, or the land. Every where you will find that the wealth of the wealthy springs from the poverty of the poor. KROPOTKIN. ('Conquest of Bread) VOLUME 1, NUMBER 11. MAY 1st, 1937. PRICE 2d.—U.S.A. 5 CENTS. Iron, San Sebastien, Durango.... to-day Guernica. Franco, Spanish Patriot and Christian, massacres women and children from the air, while British and French politicians discuss further means of betrayal. Workers ! Show your solidarity with the Basque comrades by imposing your will. Demand active intervention in favour of the Spanish workers fighting for liberty against Italian and German regular Army and Air Force. Now . .. before Bilbao and its heroic people are wiped out. MAY 1st, 1937: ITS SIGNIFICANCE THE FALL OF MALAGA It seems appropriate to us that ity. Once they put power into Government’s Criminal Negligence Responsible a whole page of this issue should the hands of their leaders their be dedicated to our brave Com movement is doomed to failure. rades of Catalonia. For it is Regarding the Fall of Malaga, Yet nothing was done. The C.N.T. dant PELAYO was relieved of his they who are defending not only Workers! Return to your reports appeared from various sources of Malaga established a munition fac command, because he was under sus Spanish territory with their homes this May Day resolved which did not altogether correspond tory where 1,000 persons were busy picion to be in sympathy with the armed fists, but they are also de that your efforts on behalf of with the true facts of the case. Some manufacturing equipment for the Confederates, i.e., the C.N.T. As a fending the noble ideals which the Spanish workers’cause will went so far as to actually lay the troops. result of this, Estepona fell into the prompted the workers of Spain be intensified, by voice of mouth, blame for its fall on the heads of the In November, another deputation hands of the Fascists three days later, to take up arms against Fascist through our press and by direct Anarchists. The Communist and was sent to interview Caballero, to put and thereby they moved 25 kilometres invasion. They are advancing action. That you will resolve Socialist organs of the World Press full details before him as to the nearer to Malaga. with the Social Revolution: new to contribute to the best of your even did not hesitate to repeat these position of Malaga and to impress on After this defeat of our forces, enterprises are springing up ability to the work of human lies—lies which can only serve the him the dangerous state of affairs. brought about by the withdrawal of everywhere, thereby freeing the interests of the Fascists and by no The Government’s reply was again in arms, the Government relieved solidarity that is being carried Colonel HERNANDEZ ARTECA of country from foreign Capital; out for the relief of suffering and means those of the Anti-Fascist the negative. villages and small towns are United Front in Spain. An Economic Committee was his post and replaced him by Colonel exposure of the civilian popu Villalba. The latter came from the We give below details on the Fall appointed in Malaga, composed of being collectivized even where lation to the murderous attacks Aragon Front, where he had by no the C.N.T. and F.A.I. have not of Franco’s war planes and war of Mallaga which were reported by representatives from all parties. The persons actually engaged in the fight Committee again applied to the means distinguished himself. yet penetrated, such as the vil ships. Between the fall of Estepona and and belonging to the various parties. Government. They pointed out that lage of Peza which boasts of the fall of Malaga there was an inter As far back as AUGUST last, the this Committee, consisting of repre 5,000 inhabitants, or as at Llere- Finally, that you will not val of twenty days. During that time, representative of the C.N.T., R. sentatives from all parties, Marxists, na where 500 armed workers neglect the workers’ struggle in the Government at Valencia was daily PERA, as well as GIRALT, the Anarchists, etc., of the Popular United confiscated the land from the your own country. For, by in adjured to send munitions, in view representative of the Popular Front Front, was urgently in need of muni, landowners, and defended them tensifying your activity for your of the fact that the imminent fall of and the U.G.T., reported that the tions in order to fight against Fascism. selves against the assault guards Freedom as well as the Freedom Malaga became daily more threaten Fascists were marching in the direc The C.N.T.—F.A.I. represented the with such success that the latter of your fellow workers, you are ing. had to leave the village in tion of Algeciras, and that it was majority of the militiamen in this fighting indirectly for the Span region. Their request was left un The Scouting Service of the Con hurried confusion. ish workers’ cause. A strong, imperative to strengthen the defensive forces. heeded. General JO SE ASENSIO federates’ Column “ Juan Arcos,” in militant working class in this (Caballero’s Minister for War), the formed the Government that 32,000 To-day, the workers of this A demand was made for 10,000 country could have avoided all Deputy State Secretary-General, Italians and Moroccans, equipped with country will be celebrating the rifles, 16 machine guns, 3 cannons of this bloodshed in Spain. Your refused to supply any arms for 150 tanks and a proportionate amount 1st May. Are they going to 17.S and 10.5. In OCTOBER a dele submission to the Bevins and Malaga. of other war material, were advancing flock in their thousands to Hyde gation of the Popular Front waited Citrines of your Unions has towards Malaga. Colonel CREMEN, Park and just listen to their upon Largo CABALLERO, to present At this juncture, the Defence Com brought about the betrayal of too, supported this, and insisted on M.P.s or labour leaders speak the necessity for strengthening the mittee of Barcelona sent 500 grenades the Spanish workers. the demand addressed to the Govern from the coal-cart pulpits, ut defence of Malaga and to ask for more of 17.5, 600 bombs, and a number of cartridges to Malaga. ment for immediate supply of arms. tering their usual stock phrases Enough of these bourgeois arms. Caballero’s reply was that not of workers’ emancipation, and a single rifle, nor a single cartridge Only Four Machine Guns leaders! The Unions need a Malaga Completely Neglected working class Freedom without rank and file of conscious, milit could be given for Malaga. In the meantime, the Fascists con accompanying them by action. ant and convinced workers. Let There were no anti-aircraft guns The Socialist Government of tinued their advance. Safarraya was This year perhaps will be added this be your resolution this May available, although the town was being Madrid had completely neglected hard pressed by them. On February the fact that Mr. Lansbury Day, in the most momentous daily attacked by machine guns from Malaga. The War Commissar of 5th a Conference was held of all the thinks Hitler a great fellow; that year of International workers’ the air and from as low a height Malaga took away even the last three Anti-Fascist organisations and parties, he has had the honour of shak struggle against Capital and as 200 metres. Colonel LU IS cannons from the Federal Column, where the dangerous situation was ing hands with one murderer Oppression! ROMERO (a member of the Com which cannons had been posted in the discussed. It was decided to put up and hopes soon to go to Italy and munist Party since 1931) communi district of Estepona, and handed them resistance. They only had at their shake hands with the other mur cated daily this fact, either by tele over to the Marxist battalion disposal 28,000 cartridges, a very in derer, and remark what a good, phone or telegraphically, to the MEJICO. Also some machine guns adequate quantity of hand grenades and peaceful fellow he really is. Government. Romero’s reports were were withdrawn from the Federal and 4 machine guns. They hoped for BUJARALOZ supported by the F.A.I. of Malaga. Column of Estepona. The Comman- continued overleaf The workers of this country should resolve that this May 1st, should be the beginning of a asking in view of the fact that money tion of the pupils. They live on the few handed proprietors possessed al thorough and not half-hearted Bujaraloz is a large township of has been abolished, how correspond same basis as the rest of the popula most all the land and the agricultural campaign on behalf of our Span some 2,000 inhabitants. It possessed ence is franked, and how newspapers tion. equipment available. The peasant, ish comrades. Let us take as an three churches and seven chapels. are received. The members of the who hired the land necessary for nim inspiration the Chicago Martyrs, None were destroyed. The People’s People’s Committee have replied that The Communal Organisation of to live together with his family, gave and the Spanish Martyrs; the Committee has its headquarters in the a free newspaper service is offered to Work 50% of the crop instead of money. hundreds of thousands of Span former town hall.