SPANISH AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1932, Page 2

SPANISH AFFAIRS

INCENDIARISM AND VANDALISM

EXPLOITING MISERY AND DISTRESS.

LONDON, November 1

It i,s now quite clear that thSre is an organised campaign of incendiarism being carried on against the Church ol Spain, according to the “Morning Post. Scarcely a day passes without the report of a church being destroyed by fire or the attempt being made, in some part of the country. Andalusia and Estremadura are the worst zones, and it js in these- regions that the agents of Moscow have particularly concentrated them energies, during recent months.

Unemployment is growing and the Red s are exploiting the misery and distress all over the country to stir up disturbances. Hundreds of sacred objects and images of great artistic and historic, value have been destroyed by fire during the last few months. DANGER TO MUSEUM.

On October 27th, an attempt was made iri the early hours of the morning to burn the historic temple of S an Felipe Neri, at Cadiz, where the proclamation of the .Cortes of Cadiz took place in 1812. A serious fire here might have vprend to the, famous Museum of Iconography next door. On th e ‘ same day at night time a group of vandals invaded a cemetery at Ciempozuelas, a few miles from Madrid, and smashed many crosses and tombstones. In the h’fitoric City of Segovia famous for its Roman Aqueduct, nine Ist on e crosses which were situated in different streets were broken.

On the previous day an attempt was made to set ablaze the pan*h church of •Ban Gil and also a convent, belonging to an Order of barefooted nuns in the town of Ecija. Province of Seville. On October 25th, the Parish Church of San Sebastian in the town of Alarchena, Province of Seville, was destroyed by fire including the much venerated image 0 f the Virgin Mary and other art' treasures of the Renaissance period. Two days before, in the town of Gerena, Province of Seville, another ■Spanish church of historic interest, an architectural jewel of the Sixteenth Century, was reduced to ashes. Needless to say the culprits escaped. PANIC AND CONFUSION.

On October 14th, during a religious procession Th the province ‘of Granada, a Communist's shot aimed at the priest carrying the Host, was the- signal for the firing of about 50 shots. The panic and confusion was indescribable. A woman was, found, dead among the wounded,.- which,. included a pri.pgt ,Jipd ■a young child in a grave condition. Just over ,a week before this a church lhad been destroyed by fir© in the Province of Ferrol after several previously unsuccessful attempts had been made ; and both th e Church of Dona Alencia de Cordoba, and the Sevillian Parish Church of Aznalcai', containing images of great artistic and historic value, have been burned down. Among other churches that had been burned are the Parish Church of San Nicolas in Granada, the Church of Santurce, Bilbao, and the Church of the Oapucine Fathers, Corunna.

In eighteen month# e»Or a hundred churche# and religious institutions have been burned out.