Sources
Irish News reports on SCW
July to December 1938
July 1938
23rd Page 5 - Anti-Italian Scene in DublinCommunists demonstrate against visiting sailors
Guards intervene in street disorders
[A report on events in Dublin the previous day.] A number of youths “jeered at them, crying ‘to hell with Mussolini,’ ‘what about the bombings in Spain?’ ‘Up the Spanish Brigade,’ (evidently referring to the International Brigade) and so on.”
At least one sailor was hit. Two training ships had arrived in the harbour on the 22nd, the Amerigo Cespussi and the Colombo.
25th Page 5 col. 5 Italian sailors in Dublin
[Reports of further attacks on these sailors.]
26th Going back to the first attack on the sailors, the paper says that it was an attack on 20 sailors.
August 1938
8th Page 2 [Book review of Spain of the Spaniards by Bernard Wall. Praised as an 'impartial' report. Approx 10 inches.]
8th Page 6 Jesuit weekly condemns Spanish Propaganda Film
An attack by US Jesuits on the film 'Blockade' which is 'produced by Communists and Marxist ideologists.'
12th Page 5 A report on the disappearance of Dario Ortuzar, an officer on one of the 3 Spanish ships held in Derry. He disappeared while swimming at Greencastle.
13th Page 4 Editorial Spain Bombing
[Complaints over claims for compensation by owners of British ships that had been bombed in Spain. Essentially the editorial says that the UK should recognise that Franco is fighting a war and that therefore no money is to be paid by him.]
22nd Page 2 Book review: The Church in Spain: Rich or poor? By Rev. T J Feeney, SJ, printed by the CTS of Ireland at 1d.
22nd Page 4 Editorial Franco Makes Answer
22nd Page 5 col. 1-3 [An extensive printing of a speech by Franco on the proposals to withdraw foreign troops.]
23rd Page 4 Editorial - Reactions to General Franco's 'No'
27th Page 7. [The funeral mass for the 1st officer of the Gorbea Mendi, one of the ships held in Derry. The service for Senor D Ortugar, who drowned on August 11th, was held in St Eugene's Cathedral and attended by 300.
September 1938
14th Page 4 Editorial Spain and China
19th Page 4 The Lull in Spain
[The paper describes the lack of interest in Spain and a lull in the fighting.]
23rd Page 4 Editorial A Game of Hide and Seek
[The Irish News does not believe Negrins account of the International Brigade withdrawal.]
30th Page 4 Editorial - Spain and it's Aliens.
October 1938
11th Page 4 Editorial - Recognition for Franco?
‘When the war clouds were hanging over the entire Continent of Europe the civil strife in Spain was almost entirely forgotten….....[now] recognition may be granted Franco, not through any love of Nationalist Spain, but because it is no longer of service to let the old farcical policy [of not recognising Franco] be continued.’
13th Page 6 Editorial - Spain becomes Spanish
[On the withdrawal of foreign troops on both sides. This will cost Franco 20,000 troops and unknown numbers on the Republican side. ‘One thing is certain, that victory will come in the Generalissimo’s own good time.’]
November 1938
1st Page 5 col. 3 Scene at Debate in Belfast
Midgley had spoken the previous night in the YMCA Minor Hall on The Truth about Spain. A man who criticised his address was 'howled down.' The meeting was organised by the YMCA Literary and Debating Society.
This report was followed the next day by a letter from Midgley p4, stating that the heckler had been given lots of time to speak.
4th Page 8 Mr Midgley in Dublin
[A report of a lecture by Midgley to the Fabian Society in TCD. The Challenge to democracy dealt with Spain. He was challenged about not speaking more on the 'challenge to democracy in Ireland.'
Peadar O'Donnell seconded the motion of thanks, he said that he'd met Midgley at a Belfast meeting in support of Spanish prisoners.]
14th Page 2: Book Review. The Spanish Arena by William Foss and Cecil Gerahty, published by Gifford. A short positive review.
14th Page 4 Editorial - Non Intervention
21st Page 4 Editorial - The losses of the Ebro
[This reports that there were 100,000 dead, 70,000 of these being republicans.]
'Though the armies pass over the Ebro and the ground on which this epic engagement was fought may become valueless, it will never be forgotten....The spirit which caused the war may widen in civil life over the unforgettable losses of the Ebro.
28th Page 6 col. 3 Members of the Irish Brigade in Spain
Aliens and not entitled to the franchise?
Enniskillen Revision Court Arguments.
[Unionists were trying to stop the four members of the Irish Brigade who'd returned to Enniskillen from getting onto the Electoral Register. The argument was that these men had sworn an oath to Franco, therefore they were Spanish! One of the men was named as Thomas Mackell of Enniskillen. The Unionists lost the case, the men were entitled to vote.]
December 1938
7th Page 5 'Seven young men from Ireland are among the party of 306 British members of the disbanded International brigade in red Spain who will arrive by special train from Newhaven today.'
10th Page 6 Editorial - Religious Freedom
'Catholicism has triumphed in Red Spain.' [This is dealing with the Barcelona government's announcement of religious freedom.]
12th Page 2: Book Reviews.
Reviews of Foss and Geraghty's Spanish Arena; Florence Farmborough's Life and people of Nationalist Spain and Prof. Charles Sarolea's Daylight on Spain. These were generally positive reviews.
14th Page 8 Six County Men back from Spain
Fought with International Brigade
Seven Six County men who fought in the International Brigade in Spain have returned. Four of them reached Belfast on Monday.
They are: Hugh Hunter, of York Street, Belfast; W Lord, Upper Library St, Belfast; Richard McAleenan, Sheeptown, Newry and a Lurgan man.
Yesterday R Boyle, Falls Road, Belfast; J Hanlon, Woodstock Street, Belfast and W Fulton, who joined the brigade in Australia, arrived.
Six Belfastmen were killed: W Beattie and W loughran, Shankilll road; W Henry, Bradford Street, Old Lodge Road, Ben Murray and W Tumelson, Newtownards Road and R O'Neill, Falls Road all of Belfast. A seventh man was killed, P Haughey, Lurgan, and J Straney, Falls Road, Belfast, is missing.
15th Page 4. - Reply to Ulster Society's Congratulations
[The Ulster evangelical Protestant Society had sent congratulations to Negrin over the government's policy of allowing 'civil and religious liberty.' ]
20th Page 2 Spanish Ship released
[The Spanish Nationalist's got a court order for the release of the Cobetas, arrested and held in Belfast since August 3rd 1937.]
31st Page 4 Editorial - Fight to a finish?
[This editorial expects Franco's victory by May 1939.]
Extracts from the Left press of the period
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