Sir, - Kevin Myers concludes his Irishman's Diary of December 6th with the dismissive plea: "So please, no more about the International Brigade and its fight for freedom, thank you." At the risk of further increasing his bile, may I draw attention to the verdict of the Spanish people themselves and of their democratic institutions?
During our recent visit to Spain from October 25th to 30th our delegation of International Brigade veterans, their families and friends were accorded an overwhelming reception by the citizens of Spain and their civic and trade union bodies. On October 29th we paid a ceremonial visit to the regional parliament, the Assembly of Madrid, where we were warmly greeted with an institutional statement from which I quote only an excerpt:
"Sixty-five years ago, the Volunteers for Freedom came to Spain from over 50 countries, men and women who left their countries, homes and families to defend the democratic freedom of the Spaniards, threatened at the time by a military uprising. . .The international militants were aware that the first battle against fascism was to be fought in Spain and that it was the prelude of the Second World War.
"Since the restoration of democracy several groups expressed the necessity of settling the outstanding debt with the Volunteer Brigade. Around five years ago, this possibility arose at an institutional level, when in late 1995 the National Parliament of Spain unanimously approved an Act granting Spanish citizenship to all International Volunteers. . . .
"Today they are here with us as a substantial proof that the link between International Brigade Volunteers and Spaniards is indestructible. It is a privilege for the Assembly of Madrid, which represents the democratic vocation of the citizens of this community, to receive them and acknowledge the generous example they gave in the defence of freedom..."
This was not some narrow Communist manifesto. Nor was it a limited Social-Democratic one. It was in fact the conservative Partido Popular that constitutes the majority in the Assembly of Madrid that unanimously adopted that statement of welcome. Moreover, it was a member of Spain's ruling conservative party, the assembly president herself, who read out that statement to us veterans in a ceremony that was as moving as it was dignified. There is no more important verdict on the International Brigades than that of the Spanish people themselves. - Yours, etc.,
Michael O'Riordan, (Connolly Column, 15th International Brigade), East Essex Street, Dublin 2.