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August 21, 1937 SOCIALIST APPEAL Truth About Barcelona May Days Sensational Document on the Stalinist Separatist Plot to Crush Labor rested; some of The CNT statement of facts We publish below an important panys, had blamed each other putting an end to their persec over the towns of Catalonia. Unbehind the Barcelona May document which has not yet ap for capitulating to the fascist utors. For the sake of harmony. punished murder is on the order events after being written, peared in English. The sensa regime of Gil Robles in October, the CNT called the workers off of the day. Our libertarian movecensored in the Barcelona tional charges made by the Nat 1934 was being directed in the the street, told them to give up ment has been silent, not through Press, names of prominent ional Committee of the anarcho plot by Dencas, from his refuge their arms. With what result? cowardice, but through discipline Catalans mentioned as cons syndacalist union, CNT, are all in Italy. It had found this quite Thousands of the best CNT mi and sense of responsibility while piring being eliminated. It ap the more noteworthy since the compatible with takeing part in litants are in jail, many have it lost the lives of its best milipeared in toto in CNT of anarcho reformist leaders have the great parade celebrating the been assassinated, and the last tants. It has suffered with inMadrid June 14, as follows: to this day not broken with the Russian Revolution!
vestiges of their conquests of comparable stoicism, the assault People Front, whose govern But not only Estat Catala was July 19, 1936 are in immediate on the collectives, on the conOne fine day, May 4, there ap ments they are still begging to implicated. Juan Casanovas, Pre danger.
structive labor of the proletapeared at the telephone building enter again.
sident of the Catalan Parliament Anarchism got its first great riat. Yet those guilty of so of Barcelona guards and policeOn November 27, 1936, the and right hand man of Com test in action in the Spanish re many crimes, shamelessly blame men, large number the command of Rodiguez Salas, idad Obrarı, uncovered a plot to vernment them, under chief organ of the CNT, Solidar panys, had, according to the go volution. It has revealed itself as them on the CNT, and even, declaration, first hopelessly disoriented movement. with all that barbarism, all that Commissioner Why? Simply because the PSUC leaders of Catalonia, of Public Order: assassinate the working class toged with the plot, but finally without a theory of workers treason, still threaten to punish seize the rejected it. Casanovas was per state power, it has become a the CNT. Stalinist Party) and Estat Ca power, declare an independent mitted to flee to France, together bourgeois ministerial party. Its We have said enough to allow tala, who as parties had no share Catalonia and make peace with with Ventura Gassol and other glorification of trade unions as every man to judge for himself.
in control of the telephone syst Franco on the basis of recogniz Esquerra members.
tem, needed it for their conspiring his rule over the rest of Spain.
the basic institutions of social Let it be noted precisely, that atorial ends. And the CNT would President Companys and The CNT did not carry through life has led it to deny the neces there is in Catalonia an amalgam the its exposure of the plotters. For sity of uniting the whole toiling of interests which coincide against not permit it, knowing what was Stalinists at first ridiculed the the sake of harmony it was in population in the workers and us, Estat Catala, the Commubeing planned. In the telephone charges; but forced to investigate the coalition government it let peasants councils (Soviets. But nists, and Esquerra, whose objecsystem, there funcioned, since the CNT charges were proven to the matter die. With what result? the ideological bankruptey of tives are not yet identical but the beginning of the movement, the hilt. The Commissioner of That those whom the CNT should anarchism has not saved the whose common interest it is to (July 19) the control committee Public Order, Rebert a member have completely destroyed in CNT from the murderous on exterminate the CNT. This coinof the CNT UGT. Furthermore of the reactionary Catalonian November 1936, machine gunned slaught of the Stalinists, who cides also with Mussolini inthere was a delegate of the Ge Party, Estat Catala, was found the workers on May 3, 1987. cannot permit any organization terests, who therefore, through neralitat, representing the go guilty and executed by a firing Such is the inevitable consequence of the proletariat to exist under Dencas, gives them indirect supvernment.
The attitude of Rosquad. The Secretary General of of class collaboration. independent leadership.
port. And let it be stated exatdriguez Salas and Ayguade, or. Estat Catala and over a hundred Now the CNT cries out against The following document is a ly, that we do nat concur in the dering the guards, was illegal, of its leading members were ar the bourgeois and Stalinist ex startling revelation of how the stupid error of confusing Comas was demonstrated by the fact were convicted, ecutioners the Barcelona degenarate roots of Stalinism munists with Fascists. We say that the Council of the General others are still awaiting trial workers. But in those very May tangle in the dark with the categorically that we do not itat recognized that the Commis Estat Catala, a split off from the days of struggle, it was the CNT sources of the counter revolution believe the CP has the slighsioner and Councillor of the In Esquerra its leader, Dencas, itself, and the POUM at its tail, ary peacemakers with Franco. test contact with the fascists.
terior had gone beyond their and the Esquerra chief, Com that prevented the workers from Ed. But that is not the case with authority. At the same time as Estat Catala, and when they act this was going on at the telephohe building, there appeared liament, because his complicity him. Polo, the other police agent pared spark to produce the clash. together on the streets who is barvitades and guns at the head in the frustrated coup etat was of the Generalitat, who was a And that spark and clash were doing the directing?
confidential man for Badia. late not generated by the CNT. From We realize with full responsquarters of the PSUC and Estat proven.
The Catata, then guns in the streets, separatists bourgeois, leader of Estat Catala) works in the first moment of the struggle ibility the weight of what we are and in view of these warlike de after all, could not swallow the France under the orders of Viz the CNT intervened to try to cut saying, but no one dares deny it, monstrationis our comrades took fact that the proletariat had won aino, agent of the fascist counter it short. We found a solution that because the burden of proof at the defense, supposing, and a victory over the fascist insur espionage that operates under was accepted by everybody ex our disposal is so very great.
tightly, that the PSUC and rection which would deprive them Beltran y Musitu. cept the Communists, who played Ayguade, Dencas, Mussolini, CaWhat do these mixtures of the game of constantly Estat Catala were trying to take of their wealth. And in search of post sanovas, Ventura Gassols, Sancho, the telephone building, which was a restoration, they began to ne separatist and fascist elements poning all agreement and all act Xicotá, Polo, Castaner there is part one of their plot.
gotiate with Italy, to provoke mean? Can we not find the rootion, so that the Valencia Govern the guilt for the bloody Barcestruggle which would give open of various provocations there. ment would have to send forces lona events. Plot Preceded May Events ings to foreign intervention, and we are sure of it And anybody and take over the Administration The Nat. Com of the CNT.
But this explains nothing. The facilitate the recognition, by some who looks at the facts objecti of Public Order, as occurred. And roots of these things must be powers, of Catalan idependence, vely will be sure, too. Let us when on Thursday morning, the Dwyer Slated For Exdog up in certain antecedents. at the same time as the anti add to these antecedents that the CNT and UGT had ordered the There is a long growing process fascist front was weakened. To fascista, at the end of April, were return to work and the city pulsion in Massachusetts of battle against our movement this plan everybody who wanted preparing a landing operation seemed calm again, the battle SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Folthey were that stretched from Almeria to began all over again, because the in Catalonia. The Communists, things to remain Estat Catala, and infiltrated on the 18th of July, could sub Rosas. It was an operation on a Separatists and Communists were lowing on the heels of the charelements had been worknig for scribe.
big scale. It didn come off be stopping our comrades, searching ges made against left wingers in some time to take away our prescause the necessary material them, tearing up their union New York, which have already tige here outside of our Intelligence Agent Murdered could not be gotten. It was post books attacking CNT headquart resulted in the expulsion of more country. What everybody doesn poned to the middle of May. And ers making defense necessary all than 50 comrades, the right wing In France, conspiracy to know are the strange coincidences bring about a truce was going on. cause of a certain incident that street car of the Garcia line was chusetts, headed by Alfred Baker be over again. And when the first in the Socialist Party of Massthat fit in with the May events.
amplethat already in January in.
moe, everybody knows, forex; involved. An intelligence agent, in the hands out the police of a Cataluria, it was shot at by the series of charges that aim at Casanovas (president of the Ca anti fascism, guards and by Estat Catala, splitting the party in the Bay had talan parliament) Lluhi Vallesca, few of these combinations. He Estat Catala concentrated on the Diagonal streets, so that trans filed Moreover at the end of April, behind barricades on Paris and State. Charges hav against comrade John Licota Sancho, Polo and Ventura was given a commission to con frontiers all the armed men it portations services had to remain Dwyer, leading left winger who Esquerra tinue his investigations until he had in France.
members. been active for years in that has And another suspended. And the cars working for Catalan indepen. agent, when he was just about Gazette of the Republic published street car tracks were shot at, ganizer in up State New York.
France, had irrefutable proofs, and this thing: on April 13, the official went out to repair the broken Massachusetts and as party ordence. It was a process of pre to complete his documentation, a list of the officers and sub too.
The charges are the first of a paration similar to the one that was murdered in Barcelona. By alterns, sergeants and privates went on during the Dictatorship. whom? He worked for the Go the National Republican Guarding Finally when on Friday morn left wing members of the State series to be filed against all the But with a difference: that then, vernment of the Republic. There that were to be dismissed from agreed upon, shooting continued The charge is that Dwyer name firing stopped at the hour Excutive Committee of the Party.
Italian fascism intervened as an fore he was murdered by those the Guard, whose further pynish from the Communist and Cata: appeared as signing the anti gag agent provocateur through Gara who were conspiring, but who baldi, and this time, Mussolini some how knew about his work. ment for treason would be de lanist centers, in order to provoke rule resolution of Local San.
of a from the Commissariat on Paris ratist agent provocateur of Oc he is a member of Estat Catala, 18 sergeants, 19 brigadiers, 23 guards shot at the car in which the decision of the NEC a1 head of Estat Catala) the sepa Councillor of Security and that captain, ensigns, 14 lieutenants, street, Estat Catala and the basis for charges is the fact that the statement says we reject tober in Catalonia.
and that he Already in December there was founded suspicion of having been on the list were not dischiarged al Committee was going to Va. has already been accepted by the was already under corporals and 58 guards of those the secretary of the CNT Nation though this very same statement a plot, which produced the ex involved in the December plot. through the influence of Artemio lencia, notwithstanding the fact ecution of Reberter, Commissioner. On the 20th of April, Commo Ayguade, the then Councillor of that it was an official govern National Office of the Party as of Public Order, and the flight rera, leader of the PSUC in Ca Security, and in the May events ment car he was traveling in the basis for a membership reof Casanovas, president of par talonia, was in Paris. Among these men appeared at the head Our National Committee sent been printed in the Socialist Call ferendum, a call for which has other people, he saw the secretary of the Ayguade forces. delegates all our regional and Comrade Dwyer was apparently from the united front! Organize of Ventura Gassols, and a certain Committees of Workers, Peasants Castanero. Who is Castonero?
Guards Under Orders local headquarters at once, to selected as the first to bring and Combatants in all enterprises, Police agent of the Generalitat. At about the same time great prevent a repetion of the Bar charges against because he is a celona events, and also a dele member at large. The SEC has barracks and districts on the land in contact with a certain Vintro, numbers of these guards and at the front.
secretary of Octavio Salto, jour sent to the frontiers, and the gation to the Aragon front, original jurisdiction over memto prevent the soldiers from bers at large. Lewis has Down with the bourgeois go nalist in the service of the chief of one important unit, infiled he would bring vernment! Long live the revolut fascists. He has also been seen stead of reporting to the Munic marching back from the trenches, notice that ninary committee constituted by with three prominent fascists ipal Council at Figueras, went which was accomplished.
charges against the other memthe delegates of the workers, who live in Biarritz and St. Jean directly to the PSUC head CP Catala Continue Repressions bers of the SEC their own peasonts and soldiers!
de Luz, and he also maintains quarters thus demonstrating that Weeks after the movement, the branches. Since their branches, Such is our immediate pro close relations with members of this was an armed force at the barricades remained in front of which support the left wing, will gram. The POUM, however, con Estat Catala, and especially with orders of the CP.
the Communist and Separatist not expel them, it appears that tintos to minimize its ditferences Dencas and Casanovas.
The All these details tell us clearly headquarters whereas ours were the Lewis controlled SEC will with the CNT and gets nothing former visits Castaner in his enough that the Barcelona events dismanteled on Friday. wave proceed to lift the carters of for its paina.
house and the latter is visited by Iwere nothing more than the pre lof terror, of blood, has swept the branches involved.
nor were in were