How Was & How Is

Objective editors noted with keen interest last week that Niceto Alcala. Zamora y Torres, who was the Republican President of Spain up to less than a year ago and today earns his living as a journalist in France, has now contributed to the Swiss Journal de Geneve his historic recollections of how things went in Madrid under the premiership of Manuel Azana who today is the Leftist Government's President of Spain.

"The Government gave reign to the mob, tools in the hands of their leaders, to establish a Dictatorship of the Streets as well as over the Government itself," writes Alcala Zamora, describing events a few months before the Civil War began as he saw them as President of the Republic. "Anxiety increased. There was panic on the stock exchange. ... I lost all hope when I saw that four Governmental instructions had been framed with extraordinary partiality toward those who were culpable . . . [officials who] had supinely allowed the burning of churches, private houses, offices and workshops before the eyes of a passive and impotent public. . . . The regime was that of Parliamentarianism gone mad. . . . The extremists of the Popular Front knew well how to maintain themselves without the Cabinet. The latter was nothing more than a pliable instrument, the mere plaything of the real power."

Ex-President Niceto Alcala Zamora had no connection last week with either Spanish Rightists or Spanish Leftists, except that the latter have his two sons. "The Government of Valencia has thus pointed a contraband dagger at my heart by taking from me hostages beyond all price," wrote Alcala Zamora in the Journal de Geneve. "An aching heart has steeled itself by a supreme effort to recover the fullness of its liberty, the liberty of the pen and the liberty of action--action faithful to my convictions as a patriotic Republican."

"Armies of Tin Soldiers!" Equally brimming with Spanish passion last week in Madrid was its Defense Junta head, bald General Jose Miaja who at first tried to keep his Red Militia from growing over confident at their success northeast of Madrid in driving Italian Rightists back nearly 20 miles (TIME, March 22). The General by last week had toured the ter rain from which the Italians fled, abandoning roughly 2,000,000 rounds of am munition, and his pride in Spanish prow ess was at bursting point. A group of neutral Red Cross doctors and nurses offered General Miaja a likely audience of foreigners, and with gusto he let himself go about the Italians: "Are these the men on whom the countries which wish to in flame the world must rely? Then I say to the Democratic countries: 'Awake! Do not fear these armies of tin soldiers which try to strike fear into the hearts of the world! Their inefficiency has been dis closed in Spain.' "

Italian captives were lined up in the Ministry of War, harangued by Minister of Education Jesus Hernandez: "Italian prisoners! Sons of Italy! What hatred, what bestial sentiment brought you here to murder our wives and children and de stroy our homes? I speak to you as brothers -- and you shall not be executed! [Cheers from the Italians]. Like you, we wish to work, but without permitting our selves to be oppressed by low salaries and a miserable existence. Italian brothers ! When you return home, you can tell your people how the 'Red Barbarians' treated you in Spain." [Cheers, huzzahs].

Statistics & Bombs. It was announced officially in Madrid that 980 buildings had been completely or partially destroyed up to last week, 1,490 persons killed and 3,488 wounded by Rightist bombers. Advancing with the Leftists last week, U. S. correspondents found bedraggled, war-shocked townspeople just poking their heads out of the cellars of Brihuega, 50 miles from Madrid. "For eleven days it has been Hell!" exclaimed a woman who, like most of the citizens, had dived into her cellar as the Italians captured the town and stayed there, trembling, famished until they were driven out. Upon walls were chalked in Italian "Long live Mussolini! Long live Generalissimo Franco!" and in Spanish the Rightists' battle cry "UP SPAIN!" The correspondents, noting with surprise that the town seemed almost undamaged, drove on. On the way back they looked forward and upward to see one of the most ferocious bombing raids and air combats of the war. A total of nearly 50 Rightist and Leftist planes were involved, swooping, diving and dogfighting all over the sky, motors bellowing, machine guns spitting Death--the entire air battle over in 15 minutes, sky cloudless and serene.

The correspondents, old hands by now at this sort of thing, drove into town. Cabled New York Timesman Herbert L. Matthews: "Now, indeed, Brihuega was a shambles. At least ten large bombs had been dropped within a few square blocks right in the centre of the town. Streets were filled with gaping holes, rocks, wooden beams and bricks. A dozen houses were nothing but shapeless masses of stones and wood in which soldiers were feverishly digging for bodies.

"Two stretchers were carried by with inert bodies, mercifully covered with blankets. Then came three stretchers with wounded. Then still others. Women ran screaming through the streets in terror that could not be allayed, despite the return of safety."

A frantic group of mothers and children persuaded the journalists to take them in their car to a place of perhaps greater safety. At first the children whimpered and cried as the car jounced along, then a 7-year-old Spaniard was asked by Mr. Matthews: "What do you think of all this?"

"Very good!" replied the child, sitting up and smiling happily. "The bombs destroyed our school."

Such was Mr. Matthews' own state of mind that he described this answer as "the only rational remark of the whole astonishing day." To predict the outcome of the war, or even its next phase, had begun to seem to experts sheer folly. According to latest dispatches, this week General Miaja's militia and his International Column were pushing steadily toward Generalissimo Franco's base at Siguenza.

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