f.

T we entered the tunnel. ’ .We were leaving f behind_ a country at war, where no place is safe .from.,the de-

struction of fascist planes. We were entering a coun-

ii - try whose people were giving.widespread support to F

the struggle of their heroic neighbor. p -..

The train moved slowly into the ‘tunnel and soon‘

We saw. the daylight at the other end. The train

slowed down ‘andstopped. After a couple of minutes a it backed into the tunnel. As time passed, the smoke

from the engine made its Way into the coaches.

By five o’clock in the afternoon. we had had nothing to eat for thirteen hours, and still we waited , . . Yet it was a most cruel thing to do, to suffocate people in the tunnel while two of the thirteen stretcher cases were in a serious condition. . '

Finally” at a quarter to six, representatives’ of the Committee in charge came to"the train and asked every- one to get off. i We lined up at the exit of the tunnel,

first, the stretcher cases, then those on crutches, then

all the others, headed by a group of fifty Frenchmen. In front of us we saw some thirty Frenchgendarmes with guns in their hands, facing us. The spokesman

of the Committee explained that he had on him the

~ permission of the French Government for this train F

to enter France. Some reactionary official apparently tried to ‘create difficulties. We decided to march into France. The head of our committee appealed to the boys to observe strict discipline, to yield to no provoca- tions, and to enter France in an orderly fashion. He concluded by saying “Let those shoot who dare! The

« best sons of France and the best fighters for peace and

democracy also fight in Spain to defend the South of

France from its fascist/enemies.” This demonstration, .

lasting three minutes brought results.

The next day, in Paris, we learned of theoffensive started by the Republican army on the Ebro river. ' In

nine days, the Republicans were able to take 500

square miles of territory, over six thousand prisoners,

‘of whom four thousand were Italian, a larger supply

of ammunition and food. “Franco admitted that the

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