Show ASMA 11 9 Y I 1 the bullfighters Bull fighters PR INS now abin ions Z malaga spain before shot and shell marred its beauty civil war makes world Cons conscious clous of modern changes felt in spain prepared by national geographic society washington D C service brivil IVIL war in spain signal A izes the startling changes which have swept that ancient land in recent years in the swift rush of daily news more is is said of military leaders and their campaigns of statesmen and changing governments ern ments than of the deep social and economic transformations behind the news or the character of this land and its people long before king alfonso fled these changes were of course under way and because of them his monarchy failed these transitions have gathered momentum until today this once romantic land of duennas duennes du ennas monasteries bullfights bull fights and leisurely pastoral life has written a new and dramatic chapter in its long history where centuries old country lanes and mountain trails used to wind fine new concrete roads now streak over the hills to a large degree tien men have exchanged their saddle mules aules for flivvers and the high wheeled clumsy oxcart yields to the whizzing motor truck senoritas Seno ritas bob their hair from the bay of biscay down to the blue mediterranean traditional peasant costumes are being discarded and men are dressing in plain blue overalls black eyed sen aritas today lay away the time hon ored mantilla get their hair bobbed and hunt city jobs as typists telephone girls and shop clerks as do their sisters in many lands new thinking as well as new machines changes the way of spanish life bullfighting still goes on but now the intrepid toreadors tore adors belong to a labor union you may still find guitars and fandangos fan dangos for spaniards are ever a music loving people and possibly you may find here and there a lovesick couple mooning at each other through an old iron barred window more and more however the radio supersedes the guitar and the girl has come out from behind the historic grillwork and gone to the movies with her sweetheart or to the street barricades to fight with him one fact to grasp in understanding 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 together with almost as many dialects comparatively sudden advent of new high speed roads faster vehicles speeches and news broadcast by air and the breakdown of church influence all combine now to dissipate this old conservative provincial 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 that busses of every kind and color race along from village to village from town to city till 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 over the country political parties 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 division of opinion and action political parties of all shades sprang up in great variety and number certain factions held that progress should be attained gradually through education of the masses masses as yet untrained in the art of government this is obviously a slow process and one would suppose that in a romantic land of manana a slow process would be acceptable but the manana idea is another of those old spanish customs so rapidly disappearing many now demand a quicker approach a faster progress thus a peek at spain of today reveals a startling modernity of thought civilization and up to the minute e comforts and contrivances su superimposed per imposed upon the stubborn survival of many local ways a and nd prejudices that bend or break but slowly however the cities put on a more modern dress and quicken their pace consider hastily some of the cities and towns that have figured in recent war 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 financial and industrial center and by far the busiest seaport the sun shines in air crisp and exhilarating as you stroll down the paseo maseo de gracia Barce lonas most 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 at modern american traffic signals at the foot of the paseo maseo is the very heart of barcelona the plaza de cataluna a large open space filled with statues fountains flower beds paved paths and benches always animated human streams flow in and out of its subway entrances the plaza too is the center of fierce turmoil in every political upheaval it is surrounded by large ornate structures banks hotels and new telephone office building with copper green tower a yankee skyscraper indeed in a spanish metropolis flying at another corner is a welcome sight for american eyes the stars and stripes indicating t the he splendid offices of the united states consulate general all these business houses use american ameri c an adding machines and cash registers and the offices hu hum m 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 is used to designate a wider street or boulevard the original fascinating rambla of barcelona is like no other thoroughfare in the world worldly it is a long straight avenue with a wide promenade for pedestrians in 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 ing s that canopy the sidewalks and the little tables idlers sit and watch the lifeblood of the metropolis stream up and down its main artery art e ry streaming at a much quick tempo since recent shooting started star 1 like the paris boulevards each section of the rambla bears a different name first come ornamental kiosks displaying an amazing variety of newspapers and magazines in every european language then comes the bird market arranged in cages of all sizes along the promenade is a bewildering show of yellow and brown canaries gray parrots from western africa green ones from brazil tiny para parakeets leets all setting up a lively chatter the next section is the brightest of all the rambla de las flores here open air flower stalls bossed by black haired peasant women |