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LA PASSIONARIA: On Calle de Lista in the middle of Madrid is a big convent of the Cilician Order. When our people's forces went by, without the slightest intent to attack the church, there was such intense firing from the windows that we were obliged to take the building and put it out of action.

HERNANDEZ: The Basilica Atoche in the southern part of Madrid was firing from its tower when the people's forces were taking the rebel headquarters near by. . . . Also on the Guader- rama front was a priest in robes standing on a high point and sharp-shooting against the People's militia.

GONZALEZ: In the northern part of Madrid is another Cilician convent; a good friend of mine was killed by the ambush from there. And all this firing was done when there was as yet no aggression against the churches. when nobody thought of attack- ing them.*

Fascist Campaign of Terror

MR. MacLEOD: To what extent are the government forces under discipline? How far can you claim that your own people keep order? One of the attacks against the Spanish Government claims that immedi- ately after the election disorders began, and that the People's Front used its power to suppress its opponents by murder.

DOMINGO: As soon as the government came into power the Fascists began their campaign of terrorism. In one service of the army, six officers expressed loyalty to the government, and

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‘This is confirmed by many British reporters.

John Langdon-Davies reports in The News Chronicle, August 15. that “the com- plicity of five church dignitaries with the Fascists cannot be denied" and that “the Bishop of Camplona granted 100 days plenary indulgence to anyone killing a Marxist." He adds that in Catalonia a "minority of left fanatics went about firing churches, but these fires were usually put out, often by the Syndicalists and Anarchists themselves, and wherever the Catalonian Left Republican Party was strong, the damage was negligible."

Frank Pitcairn reports: ‘‘In Barcelona some of the cruelest shooting came from the churches. I myself spent some time in a street swept continually by gunfire from a big church. . . . The attack on the arsenal was also hindered by flank attacks from a big church. . . . These and several other churches were stormed and burned. . . . The workers said: ‘We didn't want to attack the priests, and never did till now. But the priests gave the churches to the Fascists to shoot from and there was only one thing to do.’ "

The above account came from Barcelona before the attack in the foreign press regard-

_ing alleged atrocities began. Later, on hearing from London of the atrocity stories.

Pitcairn went at random to the nearest church in Madrid. He found that it had been used by priests for sniping; when it was taken the priests fled, leaving 21 nuns. The People's militia offered them the chance to stay, but since the main part of the church was to be used for sleeping quarters for the militia, the nuns preferred to go to private homes. Later one of them returned to see the church and was so impressed by the care taken of its art treasures that she wrote the following letter to the chief of the militia:

"We wish to thank the militia for their kindness and the assistance they gave us, and to express our gratitude for the manner in which they have cared for the art treasures and other valuables of the church. Sister Veronica La Gasca."

Pitcairn found also some nuns imprisoned, charged with handing ammunition to priests during battle.