Clipped Wings

Air bombing of great cities again became a live issue in Spain's dreary and deathly civil war last week as Barcelona, the Leftist Capital in which the Rightists claim there are "180 purely military objectives," suffered four big raids within 33 hours. Casualties announced: 200 dead and wounded. Since the original heavy bombing of Barcelona (at which time many observers thought the modern "Douhet Theory" of demoralizing, unrestricted air warfare was being applied for the first time) Rightist Air Force Commander General Alfredo Kindelan has written an article entitled Clipped Wings. In this, General Kindelan boldly grumbled against his superior Generalissimo Francisco Franco, declared that had the Rightist Air Force only been permitted to apply the Douhet Theory in good measure both Madrid and Barcelona would long since have fallen. Groused General Kindelan: "The Air Force which I have the honor to command has had its wings clipped and its field of action restricted to tactical and strategical objectives, and occasionally factories, power stations. arsenals and lines of communication.'

Grousing of another sort at Generalissimo Franco was whispered last week by functionaries of the French Foreign Office in Paris. Favored journalists were tipped that under arrest in Saragossa, for having made a speech in which he attacked the Rightist Air Force for too vigorous bombing, was famed General Juan Yague, who led the recent Rightist drive which captured Lerida (TIME, April 11). Information that General Yague is out of circulation came from French secret service agents in Rightist territory, made a rattling good story on the Quai d'Orsay. Hot-tempered, hot-tongued General Yague was reported as having said that if Generalissimo Franco had as many members of his family in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia as have certain Rightist commanders, presumably including General Yague, these cities might not have so greatly suffered. General Yague was said to have added with typical Spanish braggadocio that to win the war there is no need of "General Franco's foreign entanglements" and that the Germans and Italians now helping the Rightists are scum "who behave like beasts," in contrast to the fine Spanish qualities of many Leftist fighters.

Although freedom of the press ceased to exist in Rightist & Leftist territory as soon as the civil war began, a reputed additional charge by General Yague that much Rightist propaganda has been "stupid" was more than proved later last week. The best propaganda is always subtle, apparently uncontrolled, as in England. With the stupidity of a Hitler, a Stalin or a Mussolini, President Franco by decree subordinated all Rightist Spanish news-organs to his Government last week. Under Article 17 of the new law the Government "shall have the power to punish administratively any conduct which directly or indirectly tends to hurt the prestige of the Nation or of this Regime, obstructs the work of the Government of the new State, or sows pernicious ideas among weak intellects." Thus were the wings of every Rightist Spanish newspaperman officially clipped.

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