from our
Adjutant Commander....
My election to the post of Adjutant
Commander of our organization, I
consider a great honor to myself, but I
realize that more than an honor to my
election was meant to be and certainly
is a tribute to the Negroes who fought
with us against the fascist invaders of
the Spanish Republic.
Our veterans organization is in its
infancy, but it can be a lusty, husky
baby if all of us realize that the
struggles we passed through in Spain
have ended. There is a tremendous
mount to work to be done at home,
which can be done best only if we are
a STRONG and UNITED
ORGANIZATION. In all our activities
ALL or us must participate as ONE, if
we are to make the people of our own
land realize why we fought in Spain
and why we fight against the rise of
FASCISM in the UNITED STATES.
IT IS OUR JOB AS AN ORGANIZ-
ATION TO MAKE THE PEOPLE OF
OUR ~ND SEE THAT THE
ATTACK ON SPANISH
DEMOCRACY IS A DANGER &ND
NOT A REMOTE DANGER
EITHER, TO DEMOCRACY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
While we were in Spain we parted
from those dearest to~ us. Let us not
forget that their sacrifices were in
many ways as great as those we made.
Let us not forget that many of those at
home will never see their husbands
and brothers again. As an organization
let us always be conscious of the fact
that they have a great share in our
activity and let's honor them for the
sacrifices they made.
We have seen fascism at its fiercest.
We have a great responsibility to the
American People to the men who are
still in Spain, and only as a fighting
democratic organization can we carry
out the job that is ours today.
TO DEFEAT FASCISM!
FOR PEACE AND
DEMOCRACY!
DOUGLAS Roach.
From our
NATIONAL COMMANDER.....
On Lincoln's birthday anniversary we assemble in the National Capitol to urge
our President, the Senate and Congress to revoke the present neutrality
legislation so that the Republican Government of Spain may defend itself from
fascist aggression by purchasing arms and munitions from our own Republic.
We, as veterans of the Lincoln Brigade have certain responsibilities to the
people of our Republic. We are most acutely conscious of these responsibilities.
We know why we went to fight for the Spanish Republic. Many, I might say
millions, of our own people have to be shown why we did. Our sessions in the
National Capitol on the Lincoln anniversary have a special significance. It is
there that we must tell the people of our own country that it is necessary to be
alert to the danger of rising fascism here.
The President, Senators and Congressmen must know, as we know, why we
spent long months at Jarama, Brunette and Belchite, and only yesterday Teruel
in the face of fascist shells, for the Republican victories, which history will
record on the same pages with Antietam, Gettysburg and other victories of our
own Civil War for freedom and democracy. That international fascism, and we
know it is international, threatens us in America as it threatened Spain In 1936.
Fascism bombed Guernica, the holy city of the Catholic Basques. In the United
States fascists would bomb St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York as readily as
they would Harvard Yard. They would and do try to w i p e o u t culture. We
know that they would and we must stop them. Veterans, I am confident that our
Conference in Washington is the direct and first step to stop them from their
attacks on our democracy.....
Paul A. Burn.
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS,
JULY 4, 1861.
This is essentially a people's
contest. On the side of the Union it
is a struggle for maintaining in the
world that form and substance of
government whose leading object
is to elevate the condition of men--
to lift artificial weights from all
shoulders, to clear the paths of
laudable pursuit for all; to afford
all an unfettered. start. and a fair
chance in the race of life."
Rotograph, 817 Broadway. N.Y.
