ATROCITIES IN SPAIN

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sin,—In a letter in your issue of November 13th, Mr. Ernest Oklmeadow, ex-Editor of the Roman Catholic journal, The • Tablet, professes to give an illustration of the unreliability of the statements of Protestants in regard to persecutions in Spain. He refers to a correspondence between Father Miley and myself which took place in The Scotsman in 1981 relative to the alleged attempt, on the part of a priest, to burn a colporteur alive in a charcoal burner's oven. Mr. Oldmeadow maintains that this charge was entirely unproved, and thus leads your readers to believe that the correspondence with Father Miley ended on this note of uncertainty.

May I state that this is entirely erroneous ? The corre- spondence ended through the emergence of an even more recent illustration of priestly fanaticism. On January 22nd, 1931, there appeared in The Scotsman a telegram from Madrid pointing out that "in a village inn, near Almagro, the local priest rang the church bell and summoned all the villagers to put a number of Protestant evangelists to death, and to burn down the inn. The Mayor of the village arrived with the Civil Guards and prevented the crowd from dealing thus with the ' heretics.' " .

When even 'in face of this well-authenticated instance of fanaticism, Father Miley adopted *an attitude of unbelief, there walked into my office a man who introduced himself as the person whom the priest had. wished to burn. He told me the whole circumstances, which are as follows :

"He and his friends were in the Inn when they were aroused by the clang of the bell and the appearance of the priest at the head of the mob. The priest continued shouting 'Burn them !' Burn them !', and the mob collected fuel to set the Inn on fire. Just then, by some Strange turn of events, someone in the crowd shouted, 'Burn the priest instead.' The priest took to his heels and fled, disappear- ing in the darkness. In this way the lives of the Protestants were saved."

Mr. Govan, the missionary to whom I have referred, then published in The Scotsman of March 18th a tremendous exposure of what was going on. This letter used such ex- pressions as these :

"After years of residence in Spain I have yet to come across the Spaniard (except of the wealthy class), who has one good word for the Spanish 'Cures.' They are despised and cordially disliked, although feared, a legacy probably of the terrible Inquisition days.

I.think every Spaniard with whom I have discussed the question of the life of the Curas has been unanimous in stating that over 90 per cent, are immoral and drink to excess. This may be an exaggeration. I trust so, but this information has been obtained from Roman Catholics as well as Protestant Spaniards.

I know another Cum who has seven or eight children. A celibate clergy in Spain is a weird mockery.

From all that I know, the CuMs of Spain almost without except ion are bitterly opposed to Protestantism, especially among their own people, and are rabidly fanatical against the Bible or any religious books in any shape or form.

The Spanish Cures are certainly strong upholders of Law and Government. They know full well that with Republicanism their despotic reign would cease. • I know intimately a Spaniard who has been imprisoned over forty times at the instigation of the priest for selling bibles.

It seems to me that Roman Catholicism lies like a blight or. the fair country of Spain, and that its self-indulgent Cures, like some ghastly parasites, fatten on the misery and superstition of the simple, kind-hearted, and otherwise intelligent, people of Spain."

It was this letter exposing what was taking place which really brought the correspondence to a speedy close. Before a month had passed the Revolution had taken :place, and the Republican Government had , come into power.

While on this topic of the reason why the Roman Catholic priests are so hated, I might call attention to the fact that in this December issue of Echoes of Service, the Journal of the Christian Brethren, page 313, the following is stated :

"News from Spain is still very. serious. At one place under Insurgent fule the Believerasiere called and told that if they gathered again they would be immediately imprisoned "; few imprisoned ever come out alive. Hundreds have been shot for their political views after torture only equalled by the Inquisition. Among the victims have been sons of the British and Foreign Bible Society Manager in Madrid, and of another Believer. Children in Day Schools in e compelled to 'sit under Roman Catholic instruction day by day, and some are forced to attendlass. Sefior Palomeque; the Spanish Evangelist, was imprisoned for five days with his wife and then expelled from all territory under the Government of Burgos, and threatene-d with death should they return. He wrote from Tangier telling of 'Pastors, and the wife of one, being shot. A number of Christians have been murdered. by the rebels in the territory occupied by them, and no secret was made of their intentions should they get the upper hand."

From every agent of the National Bible Society of Scotland in Spain similar reports have arrived stating that it has been publicly announced by the leaders of the Insurgents that in the event of their obtaining the victory they will make a clean sweep of Protestants off- the map of Spain and restore Jesuit

rule.' -

In light of these 'circumstances, can it be wondered that all the Evangelical forces in Spain are praying today for the victory of the Government, seeing that in spite of its defi- ciencies-the Government stands for a Republic of liberty for all ; whereas the vietay of Frtmeo's men means the eradica- tion of Protestantism from Spain and the probable execution of all native Protestants ?---Faithfully yours,

G. A. FRANK KNIGUT National Bible Society of Scotland, (General Secretary). 5 St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh.