Pyranees the people of Spain are writing the most glorious pages
in the history of human freedom—in the struggle against the
medieval barbarism of fascism. They are writing it in their
blood, with their lives.

Help us——France which was the cradle of democracy, Amer-
ica, all democratic countries of the world, all people who love
liberty. You must never for one moment forget the sacrifice
of the heroic people of Spain.

And may the comfort and warmth of fraternal solidarity
never be lacking to the courageous fighters and their children
and their families. They deserve it.

THE CHILDREN’S BATTALION

What a tremendous desire for liberty, for freedom, lives in
the heart and soul of the Spanish people. Even the little chil-
dren feel it. Their very games have become part of the strug-
gle which envelopes their elders.

They began in the early days, by playing soldiers. Every day
I saw groups of youngsters gathered in all the gardens and all
the squares armed with sticks and toy pistols, shouting and
charging shadows. None of them were willing to be the
“enemy” even in play. All declared that they were the forces
of the government!

But, their understanding developed with the development of
the war for democracy, and in these recent weeks all the chil-
dren of Madrid have grown up. They began to think and to
make plans. One of these plans was presented to me with great
intensity by German Anton and Santiago Orgaz, two boys of
about 11, who lived in the Arguelles neighborhood.

“We were playing in the streets with silly sticks, toy pistols
and tin helmets. \/Ve were wasting time. So we said to our-
selves why shouldn’t we do something useful like raising money
for the hospitals?”

“What did you do?”
“Well, we formed a I.L.D. battalion. We took in girls too—

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