Show i r tr v z t sr sal Now o Malaga l Spain before shot and shell marred Its beauty Civil War Makes World or Conscious o of Modern Changes Felt et in Spain pain Prepared by National Society Washington D. D C. C c. Service C CIVIL IVIL war in Spain signalizes signalizes signalizes signal- signal izes the startling changes which have swept that ancient ancient ancient an an- land in recent years In the swift rush of daily news more is said of military leaders and their campaigns of statesmen and changing governments than of the deep social and economic transformations transformations transformations behind the news or orthe orthe orthe the character of this land and its people Long before King Alfonso fled these changes were of course under underway underway underway way and because of them his monarchy monarchy monarchy mon mon- archy failed These transitions have gathered momentum until today this once romantic land of duennas monasteries monasteries monasteries monas monas- teries bullfights and leisurely pastoral pastoral pastoral pas pas- toral life has written a new and dramatic chapter In its long history Where old centuries-old country lanes and mountain trails used to wind fine new concrete roads now streak over the hills To a large degree men have exchanged their saddle mules mulls for flivvers and the high- high wheeled clumsy oxcart yields to the whizzing motor truck SenorItas Bob Their Hair From the Bay of Biscay down to the blue Mediterranean traditional peasant costumes are being discarded discarded discarded dis dis- dis- dis carded and men are dressing In plain blue overalls eyed Black senoritas senoritas senoritas sen- sen today lay layaway away the time hon ored mantilla get their hair bobbed and hunt city jobs as typists telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone girls and shop clerks as do their sisters in many lands New thinking as well as new machines changes the way of Spanish Spanish Spanish Span Span- ish life lifer Bullfighting still goes on but now the intrepid toreadors belong belong belong be be- long to a labor union You may still find guitars and fandangos for Spaniards Spaniards Spaniards Span Span- are ever a music music loving loving people people peo peo- pie and possibly you may find here and there a lovesick couple mooning at each other through an anold anold anold old Iron-barred Iron window More and more however the radio supersedes supersedes supersedes super super- sedes the guitar and the girl has come out from behind the historic grillwork and gone to the movies with her sweetheart sweetheart-or or to the street barricades to fight with him One fact to grasp in understanding understand understand- ing the social muddle here is that Spain is divided into 50 provinces and not so many years ago it was commonly said that it also had 50 different national dances and costumes costumes cos cos- together with almost as many dialects Comparatively sudden advent of new speed high-speed roads faster vehicles vehicles vehicles cles speeches and news broadcast by air and the breakdown of church influence all combine now to dissipate dissipate dis dis- this old conservative provincial provincial provincial provin provin- cial spirit Thus has Spain been turned into a milling restless land For the first time country and town life are freely blended and the peasant can hear the exciting talk of city radicals and revolutionaries that yesteryear came only as a remote murmur Spain is now becoming so modernIzed modernized mod mod- that busses of every kind and color race rac along from village to village from town to city Till Tilla a few years ago many country people never journeyed more than 20 miles from home in their lives Now by cheap or even free rides in war times they travel all all over the country Political Parties Arc Are Many With the rise of the republic came of course more liberty of speech and action but born of the 50 provinces and their 50 different ways of thinking came also wide wId division of opinion and action Political parties of ot all shades sprang up in great variety and num num- ber Certain factions held that progress progress progress ress should be attained gradually through education of the masses masses- masses as yet untrained In the art artof artof artof of government This is obviously a slow process and one would suppose that in a romantic land of manana a slow process would be accept accept- able abler But the manana idea is another of those old Spanish customs so rapidly disappearing many now demand demand demand de de- de- de mand a quicker approach a faster progress Thus a peck at Spain of today reveals a startling modernity of thought civilization and md up-to-the- up minute comforts and contrivances superimposed upon the stubborn survival of many local ways and prejudices that bend or break but slowly Irresistibly however the cities put on a more moro modern dress and quicken their pace Consider hastily hastily hastily hasti hasti- ly some of the cities and towns that have figured In recent war warI I news The New York of Spain Take a look at Barcelona the New York of Spain It Is the largest city in the country the most important Important important im im- financial and Industrial center center center cen cen- ter and by far lar the busiest seaport The sun shines In air crisp and exhilarating as you stroll down the Paseo de GracIa Barcelona's most I important thoroughfare and Indeed one of the most Interesting and modernistic streets In the world Fine motorcars no trucks allowed on this wide avenue stop and go goat goat goat at modern modem American traffic signals At the foot of the Paseo is the heart of Barcelona Plaza very the Barcelona the de Cataluna-a Cataluna Cataluna Cataluna-a a large open space filled with statues fountains flower flow flow- er beds paved paths and benches Always animated human streams flow In and out of its subway en en- trances The Plaza too is b the center center center cen cen- ter of fierce turmoil in every political political cal upheaval It is surrounded by large ornate structures structures banks banks hotels hotels hotels ho ho- and new telephone office building building building build build- ing with copper green copper green tower a Yankee Yankee Yankee Yan Yan- kee skyscraper indeed in a Spanish metropolis Flying at another corner is a welcome welcome welcome wel wel- come sight for American eyes the eyes the Stars and Stripes Stripes indicating indicating the splendid offices of the United States consulate general Use American Cash Registers Big signs advertise American au au- au- au Indeed three-fourths three of all cars in the Plaza are of familiar make There is a large American bank a few doors up the street In bookstores are arc displays of American fountain pens and in the tobacco shops even chewing ving gum All these business houses use use American adding machines a and n d cash registers and the offices hum with American typewriters Many of the fine new apartment buildings are equipped with American doors and electric refrigerators Here foreign trade Is a pulsing thing far removed from the dry statistics of our commerce Rambla really means a dry ravine but In Barcelona the word wordis wordis is used to designate a wider vider street streel streetor or boulevard The original fascinating ing Rambla of Barcelona is like no other thoroughfare in the world I ItIs It ItIs Itis is a long straight avenue with a wide promenade for pedestrians In Inthe Inthe inthe the center and Is lined with tall plane trees Busy stores flank the Rambla from end to end interspersed with theaters cinemas an ancient church or two and a large number of cafes Under bright wide awnings awnings awnings awn awn- ings that canopy the sidewalks and shade the little tables idlers sit and watch the lIfeblood of the metropolis olis oUs stream up and down its main artery streaming artery streaming at a much quicker tempo since recent shooting started Like the Paris boulevards each section of the Rambla bears a different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent name First come ornamental kiosks displaying an amazing variety variety variety va va- va- va of newspapers and magazines In every European language Then comes the bird market Arranged in cages of all sizes along the promenade promenade promenade prom prom- enade is a bewildering show of yellow yellow yel yel- low and brown canaries gray parrots parrots parrots par par- rots from western Africa green ones from Brazil tiny parakeets all setting up a lively chatter New World Gives Way The next section Is the brightest of all the all the Rambla de las Flores Here open-air open flower stall stalls bossed by haired black peasant women ofer of- of cr er flowers of every color and shade Love of flowers is one point at least upon which all divergent political parties can agree Following the flower stalls come more kiosks where one may procure procure pro pro- cure ice cream or soft drinks Buildings Build ings begin to look older now the now the New World gives way to the Old Old Old- and finally we come out Into the wide water front with its ornate the tall statue to Columbus Columbus Columbus Co Co- lumbus and the palm lined Paseo de Colon To the right In n the shadow of the huge somber stone barracks Is a long double line of second hand is a long double line of bookstalls Sloping up on the right of the har bar harbor harbor bor is the high hill of Montjuich with a sinister old fort tort upon its crest In turbulent days of or riots and strikes executions of ot rin ringleader r take place here |