6 SOCIALIST APPEAL November 6, 1937 Anti Fascist Capitalists Gave Whole Northern Front to Franco Basque Government. Tool of Anglo French Imperialists, Gave Up in the status pole of the Peoples Cities Intact, Then Tried To Blame Their Treachery On Others a were the The anti fascist bourgeoisie utilized for resisting Franco has betrayed all of Northern army. The Santander army Spain to Franco. The story of organization was undone from his treachery is a terrible lesson.
the moment the offensive began. Neither communications Front.
nor the sanitary services funcBilbao and the industrial towns tioned. Neither the general and iron and coal mines suroundBy Felix Morrow staff nor that of the Army of ing it constituted a concentrated the North controlled the of ndustrial area second only to government at Bilbao to conclude bourgeoisie with powerful intervening period utilized to refensive at any moment. ReiCatalonia. For war purposes, it a Christmas truce was directly united front of the proletarian design the fortifications. But nos was surrendered to the was even superior to the Catalan due to discreet intervention by forces in the region, ready to the alibi was a subterfuge. For, enemy without time for evearea, which had to build its me British agents who hope this take power if the bourgeosie as any tyro in military science cuating the population. The tallurgical plants up out of no may lead to a complete suspen faltered, and to prepare for this knew, mere possession of plans artillery factory fell into the thing when the civil war began. sion of hostilities (New York by ideological criticism of the could not have solved the fascist hands of the rebels with its Bilbao should have become the Times, December 17, 1936. Basque capitalists. That way, problem of breaking through the shops for naval construction center of Spain greatest muni Nothing of this of course appear however, was alien to this go fortifications. They let almost intact, including 38 tions source. From this materialed in the loyalist press, where vernment of reformists, Stalin through the iren ring.
batteries of artillery.
base, the northern armies should the censorship was in full blast. ists and bourgeoisie which, above It is an elementary axiom of. the Basque army realized have driven sharply south toward all, feared to arouse the masses military science that no large that it had been the victim of Burgos and east against Navarre Suppress Workers to political initiative.
treachery. cannot explain in (heart of the fascist movement. city can be captured until its As a government pledged to massive buildings have been any reasonable way the fact The Basque bourgeoisie simply class collaboration to effect junction with the even more razed to the point where they that a terrain of eighty kiloAragon front troops. The stra bad no basic stake in fighting completely than Caballero s, the offer no further tegy dictated was of the most fascism. If the struggle involved Negrin government did nothing beleaguered troops.
protection to metres was lost in eight days.
But the Somebody committed treachery, elementary kind.
but not we, was the sum and sub.
The Basque capitalists, how to withdraw. One of the factors brazen sabotage of the Basque Shelling of Bilbao ever, were the masters in the which gave them pause, however, bourgeoisie. This front was al: June 19, they surrendered Bilbao ment. But who, knowing anything at all! On stance of this amazing docuBiscayan region. As an English was the growing CNT movement most inactive, throughout the as they had San Sebastian. The of the CNT and Asturian militiasphere of influence for centuries, in this region. Whereupon the period from November 1936 to London Times (June 21) report men, would imagine that they it had no enthusiasm for joining Stalinists and right wing social May, 1937, when the fascists ed that Assault and Civil Guards had not stood at their posts ready Franco and his Italo German ists, sitting in the regional moved to take it over altogether. and regular Basque troops had to fight to the death? On the Basque bourgeoisie any intention (the CNT had been dropped when was followed by systematic re ian militiamen and prevented the bourgeoisie The March coup against the CNT previously driven out the Astur other hand, the Basques could a not name a battle in which they of fighting to the death against the Defense Junta of September, pression of the workers, with last ditch defense.
stood up to the last. The Basque Franco. Thanks to the aid of the 1936 gave way to the govern public meetings prohibited. Thus document alibi was threadbare.
Socialist and Communist parties, ment. facilitated the betrayal. On the one force which might have Santander Falls The bourgeoisie had been party the Basque capitalists had not the flimsiest pretext imaginable prevented betrayal was crushed to the treachery.
had their factories seized by the the Basque government had in by the bourgeois Stalinist bloc. CNT and UGT press attempts workers after July 19, 1936. But vited the CNT militiamen to join to sound the alarm after Bilbao Others Implicated they had no guarantee that a in celebrating Easter Week and Bilbao Betrayed fall were cut to ribbons by the loyalist vactory over Franco the CNT Regional Gommittee and censorship. The Basque general erous, we are ready to concede to That others were also treachThe loss of Bilbao was an open staff was permitted to remain in would not be followed by seizure press had indignantly denounced of their factories also.
the religious ceremonial. the act of treachery. Not even the command of the retreating troops, the Basque capitalists. As in whole regional committee and the Insurgent heavy guns, wrote when, within a few weeks, the Bilbao, so in Santander, yesterLess of San Sebastian editorial staff of CNT del Norte the New York Times correspond fascists began a second offensive, day loyal Assault and Civil were imprisoned on March 26, ent, could have destroyed some the industrial town of Reinosa, streets, disarming Asturian miits class interests determined and the printing presses turned of these underground fortifica: key to Santander defense col liiemen, etc. before the fascists the military conduct of the Basque over to the Stalinists!
regional government. This was concrete tiers and block houses made no attempt to defend the had even arrived. These police seen as early as mid September, Role of Central Govern spaced about three miles apart city itself.
were directly under the Stalinist, 1936, when the fascists advanced ment all the way to the Biscay coast.
Moron, director general of police on San Sebastian. Before the The Insurgents themselves say, Basque Alibi of Spain, who had dissolved the attack was well launched, the The loyalist government was that the iron ring of fortificacouncils of anti fascist guards, city was surrendered. Before the of course aware of the danger, tions would never have been taken The Basque officials fled on a organized for cleansing the police Basques retrcated, they drove out aware of Bilbao failure to trans had not the Basques been outman British warship. At Bayonne, of dubious elements. The treachof the city the CNT militiamen form her plants for munitions ouevered. Outmanouevered, they issued an amazing state ery also involves that Supreme who wanted to destroy factory purposes, aware of the criminal however was a fascist euphem. ment, part of which we quote: War Council, the real functionequipment and other useful inactivity of the Basque front ism for betrayal. This fact was In a terrain composed of ing of which had been materials to prevent them from which enabled Mola to shift his admitted by Basque govern great mountains and deep the Stalinist demands which, they falling into the hands of the troops southward to join the en mental delegation in Paris, which gorges, Franco troops ad said, could only be satisfied by ascists. As a further precaution. circlement of Madrid. Why did put the blame on an engineer in vanced with incomprehensible Negrin cabinet. More, what of fifty armed Basque guards were the government do nothing about charge of building fortifications, velocity. This was an impos the two Stalinist ministers in the left behind to protect the build it? Because there was only one who had fled to Franco with the sible or very difficult achieve Basque government, who had fled ings. Thus the city was delivered way to save the northern front: plans. But the engineer had fled ment and proves that the ac from Bilbao even before their intact to Franco. The bourgeoisie by confronting Basquemonths before. Why was not the cidents of terrain were not (Continued on Page 8)
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give us back our property When this happened, wrote, CRUSHING INDICTMENT OF THE STALIN FRAME UP REGIME!
on September 22, 1936, The northern front has been betrayThey say: ad. The anarchist ministers have since revealed that this was He marshals his evidence and argument with he opinion in the Caballero casuch mastery and cumulative force that the reader binet. What delayed the complewill probably regard this testimony not so much ion of outright betrayal for six as a defense as an indictment. It is an indictnonths, however, was the stupidment more powerful than any penned by Zola durty of Franco officers who took ing the Dreyfus affair.
over San Sebastian. The fifty Sidney Hook, in the yuards left hehind to protect the New York Herald Tribune buildings were shot. Bourgeois proprietors who had remained This book is most readable. It contains Trotsbehind to make their peace with ky final speech of summation which will, most ranco were imprisoned, some of likely, go down in history as one of the greatest them executed. The inhabitants indictments of all time. It contains Trotsky rewere terrorized. The Basque front cord of his life, his relationship with Lenin, with The Verbatim Record of the Hearings of the Dewey stiffened for a little while.
Stalin and the defendants at the trial, his story Commission in Mexico City of the oppositional fight with Stalin. And it conSeek Armistice tains a closely reasoned and brilliant analysis of By December, however, the every aspect of the Moscow trials.
617 Pages Basque government. James Farrel, in the was again feeling its way to an armistice.
Saturday Review of Literature.
While Madrid still rejected all negotiations for exchange of priSPECIAL PRICE DURING THIS CAMPAIGN SALE: 50 soners, the Basque negotiated uch an agrement and, in reportThe Labor Book Shop ng this, Augur, the unofficial voice of the British Foreign Rush all orders to Office said: The British have been working to promote local 28 EAST 12th Street New York, irmistices between the rebels and loyalists. The offer of the Basque of the The Case Of Leon Trotsky ent