ted by the same purpose as ourselves; some, such as those from Ger- 
many and Italy with bitter personal experience of what Fascist bru- 
tality means. 
Before the train moved out, the people from all around the small 
town came to shake our hands, to call to us, and sing with us. Some 
looked sad, some were smiling, but all joined with us in singing the 
“International” as we drew out. 
As we rolled along we could see peaceful villages nestling in the 
folds of the hills; their white walls and red roofs reflecting pleasantly 
the morning sun. The peasants in the fields stopped their work as 
we passed, and rested on their hoes, and if near enough, called and 
waved to us. 
A nearer view of some of the villages, where they were close to 
the line, showed us that they were not such pleasant places as they 
appeared away in the hills. All the whiteness and cleanliness could 
not hide the poverty and ramshackle state of the houses clustered around 
the lofty church. 
In the afternoon, we reached Barcelona, and left the train to get 
food. Here again, we received a great welcome. A band led us through 
the sunny streets, and again there was all the singing and clenching 
of fists which had greeted us everywhere before, but this time, ins- 
tead of hundreds, there were thousands of people. Never before had 
I seen such enthusiasm. 
Many of us, perhaps most of us, may not live to see the end of the 
fight against Fascism in Spain, but those of us who do, will always 
have with us the remembrance of the unity between the Spanish 
workers and ourselves which was given expression on our journey 
across Spain. 

Across the Pyrenees 

When Non-Intervention was enforced, crossing the Spanish border 
called for the qualities not only of adroitness but of endurance. To 
avoid detection and arrest, some groups had to spend days and nights 
on the snow-covered mountains; the unlucky ones served terms of four 
to six weeks in French prisons, before they could try again. 
Here, Harry Hakam, an American, describes some of the obstacles 
which a group of Volunteers had to overcome en route for Spain: 

When we arrived in France we were informed by the American 
Consul that the border to Spain was closed and that we may as well 

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