" From The Spanish Battlefields"

Captain McCullagh has addressed an open letter to the Irish Presient in which the true nature of the Spanish conflict is frankly decribed , as a genuine religious crusade. Mr. Cosgrave has tabled a motion for the recognition by Ireland f General Franco's Government.
Meanwhile it is becoming clear that many of the stories of horror and devastation in Madrid, though founded on fact, are much exaggerated. The life of Madrid continues normally, General Franco has enlarged the safety zone and—so it is reported— football is played by militiamen in regions said to be the " most dangerous and terror-struck zones."
According to Queipo de Llano no Spanish soldier has been killed or taken prisoner, as the fighting on the part of the Reds is being virtually done by members of the " international column."
:APT. A4cCULLAGH'S LETTER
TO MR. DE VALERA " I live and move and breathe in the shadow of the greatest horror that has befallen Europe since Sobieski drove the Turk from the gates of Vienna," writes aptain McCullagh, the wellknown war correspondent, who has for some w cks been in Nationalist Spain and hasi seen the outrages committed by the Re s.
Captain Francis McCullagh has addresed an open letter " from the Spanish attlefield " to Mr, de Valera, President f the In h Free State.
He ask the President to take sides in le confliet.
The Opposing Sides
" On one side, Mr. President, is Big .usiness, Sadism, Impurity, Dishonour, iold and Sin, the Priest-hunter, the Conlet whose case had to be heard in camera, le Jail-Bird, the Cut-Throat, the Murderer, le Shady Financier, the Corrupt Politician, le International Corrimunist, the Bandit tulers of Mexico, the Godless Rulers of tussia, the enemies of Religion, of Learng, of Art, and of Almighty God.
" On the other side stand the Poor, the Simple. the Wise. the Educated Catholics. the Cream of the Generous Youth of Spain, the Cadets of the Alctizar, the Shepheids of Estremadura, the Peasants of Ca tile, the Hunted Priests of Barcelo a aftd Valencia, of Santander and Tortosa, of Malaga and Murcia, of Almeria and Cartagena, of Tarragona and ToIedo, of the Escorial and Madrid: the Plaits Fishermen of Galicia, who were ai ready to answer the call as the fishet men of Galilee.
" . . . I need not ask you, Mr. President, which side you will choose."
Captair McCullagh points out in his letter that the doubts expressed by many iespectable people regarding the religious character of the war in Spain arc based entirely on prejudice and on the fact that the popular Press has omitted to see the importance of this factor in the conflict.
No Human Agency
" No human agency . . could ever persuade common soldiers to go to Mass in such numbers before dawn on weekdays; and not only to Mass but to Confession and Communion.
" This point has not been noted in the newspapers because a Protestant newspaperman is not likely to get up at five o'clock in the morning to go to Mass, even on a Sunday: but for a Catholic it is an important point. . .
Why This Piety?
He goes on ' " What then, has caused this extraordinary outburst of piety! In my opinion, the principal cause is the sacriligious fury of the Reds and their diabolical hatred of the Cross of Christ. That fury and the hatred convinced the Catholics of Spain that they had to deal with the forces of Hell itself and the Holy Father has just assured them that they are right.
" Next among the causes, I would place the murder by the Reds of all .p.risetner.a,. and hostages. Every Spanish Catholic who went into battle knew that he would be shot if found with any religious emblems in his possession, so he simply went. after pinning on as many holy medals as his breast would hold.
" Death was therefore brought nearer to him than it was even brought to any soldier in the Great War; and death makes men think."