Pleasant Grove Review | 1940-05-31 | Page 2 | 'Fifth Column' . . . What it Means

'Fifth Column' I . . . what it means "Outside the flutes of Madrid four columns of our troops are engaged. But within there is a fifth column, which, at the proper time, will arise and overthrow the defenders." Since the day that the Spanish rebel general Quiepo de llano, made that now famous remark regarding the "fifth column" the term has been used to refer to all those residents resi-dents (citizens or aliens) of a nation at war or fuced with the possibility of war at some future date, who act or speak in a fashion that may in some way aid the enemy or possible enemy. Such aid to the "enemy" may come in many different ways. It may mean sabotage or disclosing military mili-tary secrets. Most striking examples exam-ples of "fifth column" activity usually usual-ly come however, as the troops of the enemy are marching into the home country. The "fifth column" is already there and has placed itself it-self in key positions to aid the ad-vancing ad-vancing troops. Thus far, it is claimed, the German Ger-man forces have successfully used these tactics in Denmark, Norway, flolland and Belgium. "Fifth columnists" col-umnists" may or may not be citizens of the country in which they reside. They filter into the nation in times of peace as students, tourists, workmen, work-men, refugees or any guise which is not apt to be alarming.