Congratulations

The Deputies of Leftist Spain's Cortes evaded Rightist bombers long enough to hold a parliamentary session last week in the ancient monastery of Montserrat above Barcelona. They were mildly surprised to hear a message congratulating them on a "stirring example to all democratic peoples" signed by 60 members of the U. S. Congress, whose Neutrality Act they blame for keeping them short of munitions. Far from mild was the reaction felt in Washington when the Spanish Embassy released the message and Catholic groups over the U. S. indignantly demanded an explanation from the 26 Senators and 34 Representatives who signed it. Some of the signers hastily repudiated the message upon reading it, others hemmed & hawed, few could remember the "young man" who had brought them the document to sign. Investigation disclosed the solicitors wore onetime Chicago Tribune Correspondent Jay Allen and two young women Friends of Spanish Democracy. Gasped confused Signer Tom Connally of Texas: "Merely as an act of greeting. ... I am opposed to Fascism because of its iron intolerance. ... I am also, of course, bitterly opposed to Communism." Neatest explanation was that of West Virginia's Rush Dew Holt: "I would congratulate any government capable of holding parliament in time of warfare."

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