A Bomb for a Bomb

Last summer in Salamanca, Generalissimo Francisco Franco's capital, workmen piled a double row of railway ties between the arches of a double colonnade that supports one side of the city's great Plaza Mayor, filled the intervening space with sand bags. This was to be a refugio against possible air raids. They took their time about it, for in over a year's warfare no Leftist planes had appeared over Salamanca. Leftist authorities had repeatedly promised that civilian centres would never be bombed by their planes. Nonetheless, Salamanca was surrounded by the very latest German anti-aircraft batteries. Last week in Salamanca a frightened shouting mob poured into that refugio as 20 big Leftist bombers circled overhead sending 1,000-lb. bombs whistling down on the yellow stone University City.

Actually, only eight people were killed and damage was limited to a few narrow streets in the working class district. El Caudillo Franco's headquarters, the artillery general staff, the press and propaganda departments and the general staff headquarters are all within 100 yards of Salamanca's great ornate cathedral, one of the finest in Spain. Proof that the Leftist raid on Salamanca was not an isolated incident but represented a complete change in policy came quickly. In another Leftist raid, against blustering Queipo de Llano's private bailiwick, the city of Seville, five tons of bombs were dropped. 24 people including eleven children and three women were killed.

The Leftists' sudden reversal of policy was brought on by three days of the bloodiest Rightist bombing which Leftist cities have suffered since the destruction of Guernica. Over the sea from Majorca came a squadron of black-winged Italian bombers. High over Barcelona they loosed enormous bombs on the crowded, industrial and residential sections of the city. In five minutes over 400 men. women & children were killed, many of them literally torn in fragments, and twice as many were wounded.

At almost the same time Valencia's crowded tenements were bombed almost as severely. Leftist Defense Minister Indalecio Prieto claimed this was a Rightist "attempt to assassinate" seven British Laborite M.P.'s who had been visiting Valencia's law courts, were on their way to a luncheon at the officers' training camp. The nearest bomb fell at least a quarter of a mile away, but the Rightist's radiorating Queipo de Llano soon made priceless Leftist propaganda by bellowing that the British Laborites are "Marxist scoundrels and a pack of savages whom we will punish as they ought to be punished!"

Meanwhile, for the third time bitter fighting was under way at Teruel. Generalissimo Franco, having decided that to recapture that city was a better psychological move than starting another offensive, laid down the heaviest artillery barrage the war has yet seen. Wave after wave of his infantry followed, finally captured El Muleton, the second of Teruel's four strategic heights to be regained by the Rightists. Sticking grimly to their lines, Leftist officers admitted that if El Caudillo had sufficient reserves, Teruel might fall to the Rightists again, pointed out that this would leave Franco just where he was six weeks ago. with heavy losses, no new gains, his strength impaired.

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