ing the brunt of the battle. There is the odd exception to this like Shapcott and Tom Cochrane. These men are respect’ ively 57 and 58 years of age. But when pressed they admit they found it somewhat difficult to keep up the pace of the youth. And, in just such a fight as this youth is the great sec’ ret of victory and the invincible fortification for recovery.

Healthy bodies battered and cut and wounded. Arms

gone, Legs severed and gone. Bones blown out of -their places,

wounds like deep ho-les slashed out of men”s shoulders. Faces all distraught with pain and suffering, distorted with broken bones. Here is where youth is a fortification. Here is where young men become grey headed in a few hours, but they keep their dauntless spirit and they have still a clear and unwavering sense of what they are doing. .

To me these men are unique in the world’s history. They are political volunteers. . As President Azana declared on July 18th last; “Nothing told them to fight on our side except their ownpolitical consciousness.” These anti»fascist youth, in the People’s Army and lying wounded in the hospitals of Spain to» day,_ are in my opinion the glory of the youth of the world.

Some have given the full. measure of devotion, their names I

shall never perish from the memory of freedomel-ovings people.

One has a peculiar feeling‘ entering a hospital ward to visit men who have been wounded in a war like this. I felt that it was rather a privilege that was being extended me, than any service that I was doing for them.

They were distinguished men everyone of them. I scan’ ned their faces closely to see if I could detect any sign of an appeal against what they were called upon to bear. I talked with them carefully to see if they were confused or weakening in. their own ideas about the issueor about the outcome of the war against fascism. I found the firmest confirmation of cause. Fascism must be destroyed, man after man expressed himself in agreement with this objective. The burning desire

M 45 ——- ‘