Source: Spanish Revolution, Vol. 1 No. 8, December 9, 1936, pp. 4-5;
Transcribed: by Revolution's Newsstand.
As one approaches Madrid, the road from Valencia is crowded by strings of cars and lorries filled with women and children: The capital is busy with the evacuation of the civil population. This measure should actually have been taken long ago, and the present Spanish government, now in Valencia, is blamed in a general way by the townspeople for not having faced this problem earlier.
At Taracon, part of the Joaquim Maurin Column is on leave, back from fighting at the centre front. These Catalans have put new heart into the Madrid defenders. Now with unkempt beards and torn clothes they are resting from recent violent combats. Everything is tolerable, they say. except the air raids, which are vile, and massacre the unarmed population of the city.
The entry into Madrid by night: Madrid the capital on which the eyes of the whole world are turned in these moments of tense anxiety id impressive: the city seems like a grey mass, the countours of the buildings faintly outlined. There are no lights. Here and there, groups of people like dark patches, or a guard, carrying a shuttered lantern. The cars crawl down the streets, their headlights turned off and the horns sounding continuously. This, and the far-off echo of the machine guns. punctured from time to time by the snort of the cannon, is the only noise to be heard. Those are our own P.O.U.M. troops fighting in the Moncloa sector. Madrid is struggling day and night, and the fighting does not cease even for an instant.
Last week, the situation in Madrid looked very bad. The militias, with their power of heroic resistance. were able to turn the tide. It would be idle to pretend that all danger is now past, especially considering the peril of misleading the masses by false optimism. Everyone must be told the truth, for truth is also a weapon. A short while ago. the fascists were at the gates of Madrid fighting to enter and take the town. The enemy air force, a present from Hitler and Mussolini. tried to help their entry by a criminal bombardment which caused numberless victims. It is certain now that the fascists will never enter Madrid. They may. however, reduce much of it to a mass of ruins.
The military chief of the P.O.U.M. forces in Madrid is Comrade Baldris. Our chief headquarters are in the place Sto. Domingo, new renamed Etchebehere in honour of our heroic comrade who fell fighting while in command of our troops on the Siglienza front. Many streets and places, such as the Puerta del Sol are practically impassable. In both San Jeronimo and Alcala bombs of 250 kilos have been dropped which have reduced everything to a shambles. From time to time the pedestrian is stopped and the pass-word demanded of him.
Air-raids at night are the chief fear of the inhabitants and the defenders. The city is plunged in total darkness, and suddenly the dreaded zoom of the aeroplanes is heard above the faint, far-off noise of firing. As the buzz grows loud and near, a succession of explosions begins to be heard. All the citizens are under strict orders to leave their rooms in the upper stories and take refuge in the cellars the minute the bombardment begins. Madrid cellars are crowded during bombardment times, but most of the inhabitants take the raids quietly and with great courage.
The Tajo front is reached over the Princess bridge. As one approaches it, more and more houses are seen which have been destroyed by bombs and cannonades. Truck loads of militiamen going out to fight ram the way. From the first lines of our trenches, a small hill is seen opposite: The fascists are behind it. The spirit on this front is one of great animation and cheerfulness and the conviction reigns everywhere that the fascists will never manage to pass.
The Carabanchel sector is reached over the Toledo bridge. The bridge itself is piled with sandbags to serve as a defence. Beyond, the populous workers district has been evacuated. It is dangerous to walk in the streets here, as the fascists are only about a mile or a mile and a half away, but big breaches have been made in the walls of the houses, and the militiamen move about by walking through from, house to house.
The Northern Railway Station is half ruined. Opposite it is the Casa de Campo. where the Moors were so badly beaten a short while ago. They suffered many losses in this defeat which was really our first outstanding success. The militias greatly encouraged are henceforth willing to hold out at whatever cost. This is the principal condition of victory, and they are certain to fulfill it.
Air-raids are by no means scarce during the day time. The heavy droning fills the air. and in a moment the whole sky seems to be covered with aeroplanes. As many as 16 big bombers of the Junkers type, five or six light bombers and about a score of chasers often fly over Madrid in a crowd. Bombs drop light and left while people fly for shelter. The roof of our headquarters caught fire during one of the but fortunately was put out fairly quickly, while the houses on either side of it were in a blaze. One sees wounded people limping about: women who have been hurt, and others partly burnt. When any district has been a particular mark of the fascist air-force and is on fire or greatly damaged, an exodus begins, and people move about the streets dragging their mattresses with them, seeking other quarters. This aspect of the population moving from district to district is a tragic sight. The people are very brave, however. There are no weeping women to be seen. On the contrary, the women have firm resolved faces and they set to work on whatever must be done with method and energy. In Madrid, the people their solidarity and will to win.
In Madrid, women and children have been assassinated and hospitals bombarded. Beautiful buildings have been destroyed and workers homes set on fire. There are holes yawning in the streets which have their tale to tell.
There is only one reply to things like this. It is written a score of times on the walls throughout Madrid: "People of Madrid, forward to the attack. Our watchword is victory."
The workers of Madrid will carry out this slogan. But to do so they need the help of the workers of the world.
The P.O.U.M. militias from Madrid are fighting heroically under fire on the front lines. They have given proof of their bravery: they are living up to the slogan of our party: "To conquer or die.
Last week, the P.O.U.M. shock troops of the First Lenin Battalion, now fighting at Moncloa, succeeded in putting four enemy tanks out of action and in capturing one. Two days later in the same sector, they destroyed two more enemy tanks and captured one. During this operation our Comrade Captain Guerrero was seriously wounded and other Officers were wounded less seriously. One comrade was killed. Our Comrade Mika Etchebehere distinguished herself in the fighting.
Our militias were congratulated by the other parties and organizations operating in the sector, who have asked that the P.O.U.M. leaders be placed in command of operations on this important front.
In the Buitrajo Sector, our forces have so distinguished themselves that Captain Galan. the head of the column to which our men belong, has asked that more members of the P.O.U.M. be sent out to him. Troops of the P.O.U.M. militias are also operating in the Puenta de Segovia sector and in the Puenta de Toledo Sector the Moncloa front and in various sectors of the Guadarama.
The P.O.U.M. Committee in Madrid is organizing a new shock battalion, The 'ISKRA.' The battalion will be under the command of Comrade Gerardo Baldris. who was formerly in command of our Siguenza Motorized Column and later of the second battalion of the 'Joaquin Maurin Column.' The 'ISKRA' is to be a really revolutionary battalion. It will be organized with the old fighting elements from Siglienza, reinforced by some of our best comrades from the party and our youth section, the Iberian Communist Youth.