Chomsky on Anarchism.pdf - Zine Library

OBJECTIVITY AND LIBERAL SCHOLARSHIP
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check on the conversations [hat took place between the politicians." As Richards fur
ther observes, "It is, of course, a quite different matter when the 'indiscreet ear' is that
of [he O.G.P.U."
94 Sroue and Temime, op. cit. , p. 266.
9S Jackson, op. cit. , p. 370. Thomas suggests that Sese was probably killed accidentally
(The Spanish Civil Wa r, p. 428),
96 The anarchist mayor of the border town of Puigcerda had been assassinated in April,
after Negrin's carabineros had taken over the border posts. That same day a prominent
UGT member, Roldan Canada, was murdered in Barcelona, it is presumed by
CNT militants. This presumption is disputed by Peirats (Los Anarquistas: see note
58), who argues, with some evidence, that the murder may well have been a Stalinist
provocation. In reprisal, a CNT man was killed. Orwell, whose eyewitness account
of the May Days is unforgettable, points alit the "One can gauge the attitude of the
foreign capitalist Press tOward the Communist-Anarchist feud by the fact that
Roldan's murder was given wide publicity, while the answering murder was carefully
unmentioned" (op. cit. , p. 1 19). Si milarly, one can gauge ]ac!Q;on's attitude tOwards
this Struggle by his citation of Sese's murder as a critical event, while the murder of
Berneri goes unmentioned (cf. notes 64 and 95). Orwell remarks elsewhere that "In
the English press, in particular, you would have to search for a long time before finding
any favourable reference, at any period of the war, to the Spanish Anarchists.
They have been systematically denigrated, and, as I know by my own experience, it
is almost impossible to get anyone [Q print anything in their defence" (p. 159). Little
has changed since.
97 According ro Orwell (op. cit. , pp. 153-54), "A Brirish cruiser and n'lo British
destroyers had closed in upon the harbour, and no doubt there were other warships
not fa r away. The English newspapers gave it Out that these ships were proceeding to
Barcelona 'to protect British interests,' but in fact they made no move to do so; that
is they did not land any men or take off any refuges. There can be no certainty about
this, but it was at least inherently likely that the British Government, which had not
raised a finger to save the Spanish Government from Franco, would interview quickly
enough ro save it from its won working class." This assumption may well have
influenced the left-wing leadership to restrain the Barcelona workers from simply
taking control of the whole city, as apparently they could easily have done in the initial
stages of the May Days.
Hugh Thomas comments (The Span ish Civil \%r, p. 428) that there was "no reason"
for Orwell's "apprehension" on this maner. In the light of the British record with
regard to Spain, it seems to me (hat Thomas is simply unrealistic, as compared with
Orwell, in this respect.
98 Orwell, op. cit. , pp. 143-44.
99 Controversy, August 1937, cited by Morrow, p. 173. The prediction was incorrect,
though not unreasonable. Had the Western powers and the Soviet Union wished,
compromise would have been possible, it appears, and Spain might have been saved