The VOLUNTEER for

LIBERTY
Issued Monthly January, 1938

ORGAN OF THE VETERANS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES (AMERICAN CHAPTER)

2859,&725<,6<2859(1*($1&(
Abramowitz, Hyman Panazis, George
Aviezer, Elias Christodolow, C.
Aylian, George Mugianis, Christos
Brishiki, Anton Petaya, Aino Matteo
Byrne, James J. Millina
Campbell, Joseph Dapiran, Haden
Carlson, Carl Joseph Koskela, Emil
Cespedes, Filipe Friedman, Lawrence
Chapooff, Samuel Auerback Joseph
Cohen, Abraham Jenei, G.
De Armas,, Rodolfo McQuarrie, Roy
Edwards, Charles, H. Mass, Fred
Greenleaf, Robert Graham, Sydney
Garcia, Andre Sacks, Harry
Granzio, Emilio Murry Krangel,
Guigarre, Carlos Sam Kaplan
Hernandez, Pedro Louis Argitas
Jelin, Maurice Lou Levick
Johnson, John Homer Meruelo
Kunz, John Francis Daly
Lackey, Fred D. Harry Roberts
Laskowski, George Alex Maclure
Ladman, Louis Joe Dallet
Lenthier, John Milton Herndon
Lenway, Clyde Robert Collentine
Leigs, Clare Victor Franco
Mantell, Ben Pincus Kaplinsky
Marinoff, N. Robert Shissler
Martinez, Emilio Scott, John Hutner, Daniel Dan Pasternack
Morris, Arthur Seacord, Douglas Kuryk, Harry Jack Shiffman
Navarro, Aquilino Shapiro, David Levinger, Samuel Matt Elomaki
Niepold, Paul Balvage, Thomas Loch, Jacob Julian Baublis
Norwood, Robert Baura, Ulyses Malofsky, Harold Ben Smith
Pappas, Philip Shosteck, Sidney Nyberg, Eric Nathan, Schilling
Pavlich, Matt Bigras, Alcide Parker, Charles Isidore Schrenzel
Pekow, Milton Block, Paul Regan, Charles, J.
Perez, Carlos Burton, Wallace Sperry, Charles
Perez, Roman Cojeran, Stafan Walsh, Robert
Pick, Robert C. Doherty, James Zayac, Micheail
Rappaport, Milton Danjanovich, Milo Kendzievski, Roman
Rosenthal, Julius Eaton, Henry Oretchkin, Boris
Rufo, Angelo Finkel, Alexander Schwartz, Abraham
Russell, Michael Goslin, Louis Romanzis, Dostantinas
Watson, Alonzo Van der Brugge, Horzich, Sam
Schattner, Ted Lepo, Daniel
Romani, Angelo Witt, ,Arthur Venzano, Eugenio
Streisand, Joseph Wolk, Robert Conejos, Aquilino
Tzeronis, John Jurdana, Ivan
 THE VOLUNTEER FOR LIBERTY

audiences. It is not unnatural,

The therefore, that he should feel that the
physical distance which separates him

VOLUNTEER from Spain and China from Germany

and Italy and the Soviet Union means
that happenings in these countries can
for never really affect him.

LIBERTY It is true that in recent months large

sections of the American people have
become conscious of the tightening of
ORGAN OF the lines in this country. Political and
THE VETERANS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES economic realignments and the great
(AMERICAN CHAPTER) activity in the labor movement have
clarified the American scene for
millions of people and shown them
We dedicate this first issue of the VOLUNTEER FOR LIBERTY to the memory of where the banners of progress are
our fellow Americana who gave up their lives in Spain. moving. And the dismal collapse, for
instance, of the red-baiting attacks on
These-men were brave, though they disliked being told so. Their embarrassment Roosevelt and LaGuardia,
before extravagant praise--an embarrassment which we all shared--arose from their demonstrated that the people are
realization that courage is not something which is known only in Spain or which certainly not destitute of political
rises miraculously only in the presence of death. It must not be, it can not be intelligence.
divorced from the complex texture of character, growing through natural
development and built solidly on experience. Most of these men learned lessons of But all these stirrings and movements
devotion and self-sacrifice in the labor movement in America. Their going to Spain, have not been invented all of a sudden
was merely a logical extension of their actions here. They themselves saw nothing by and for America. The world
sudden or startling or surprising in all this. progresses because it is possible for
us to learn from cur own experience
We are proud to do honor to these our friends and companions, with whom we and from that of others. America must
marched and beside whom we fought. advance to meet and solve her prob-
lems with the advantage of knowing
by what methods and with what re-
OUR ORGANIZATION efforts to preserve it against sults other peoples have confronted
threatening reaction. But we see too problems which are in many ways
We who have returned from Spain and that much education is needed and similar.
have formed the American Section of the that there is much work to be done.
Veterans of the International Brigade may To this end the Veterans offer
be expected to have an especial interest in America's relative geographical themselves as individuals and as an
the setting up of still another anti-fascist isolation from Europe and Asia has organization. We pledge ourselves to
organization. If there are two things we been in the past, both a blessing and a work shoulder to shoulder with all
all learned in Spain, they are first that curse. At the present time it repre- who strive to disclose the nature and
there is immediate and pressing need for sents' a grave danger, for it gives the dangers of fascism, with all who
effective resistance to the growth and American people a false sense of combat reaction in all its forms, with
spread of fascism, and second, that this security. The average citizen, except all who seek to advance freedom, and
can be accomplished only through sound these in or near a few large cities--is democracy and to maintain world
organization. dependent upon newspapers from peace.
which the slightest local occurrence
We are very happy that in present-day will crowd all but the most world-
America, the friends of progress are not shaking of foreign events and upon a
forced to organize by battalions and bri- radio which finds almost any Rotograph, 817.
important contemporary topic too Broadway. N. Y.
gades. We are happy that our American
democracy protects us in our 'controversial' for the comfort of its
huge and diverse
 THE VOLUNTEER FOR LIBERTY

JACK SHIRAI VETERANS LAY A

WREATH
JAPANESE - AMERICAN VOLUNTEER, KILLED
ARMISTICE DAY AT
AT VILLANUEVA DE LA CANADA, -- JULY, 1937.
THE
I hear that Comrade Shirai fell. Once (in June on the Jarama) ETERNAL LIGHT
Who did not know him? He was sent as a cook IN NEW YORK
His funny pidgin English, Behind the lines to a hospital.
His smiling eyes, They liked him there--the sick,
And his brave heart 'The wounded, everybody.
Made him loved as a brother And the village farmers talked often
In the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, Of the Japanese who had come so far for
JACK SHIRAI of Hakodate them.
Son of Japanese earth. But one day he ran away,
Re went to America Back to the lines--to the front.
Because at home there was no bread; In the North, when we cracked
Became a cook in Frisco. The ring around Madrid,
His art tickled the palates He was there as we stormed Brunette,
Of the richest playboys of the city. And Villanueva de la Canada.
In the summer of nineteen hundred thirty- As the night was bright
six With the shine of the Burning towns,
as the newspaper wrote, Torn by exploding bombs
In Europe, in Spain, And the voices of the great guns,
The Fascist wolf had come out to murder. JACK SHIRAI FELL.
Jack Shirai packed his few things The Abraham Lincoln Battalion
And was among the first Of the People's Army of Freedom,
To come from America And the Japanese proletariat,
Helping the Spanish people in their fight Will not forget him.
For human rights.
TO YOU, FALLEN IN SPAIN, TO
When the bullets whistled LUDWIG D.
YOU, STILL FIGHTING TO AVENGE
And the tearing shell, burst
THE FALLEN AND TO PRESERVE
Then the boys of the Lincoln Battalion
THE CAUSE OF DEMOCRACY
Watched Jack Shirai.
AGAINST THE ONSLAUGHT OF FAS-
He had a laughing heart!
CISM, AND TO YOU COMRADES,
WHO HAVING OFFERED YOUR
In answer to many requests on the part of the Veterans we are printing the, LIVES AND STRENGTH, AND NOW
words to the: WOUNDED IN THE STRUGGLE,
"JARAMA RIVER VALLEY" RETURNED TO CARRY ON THE
(To the tune of the Red River Valley") FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY HERE IN
AMERICA, I EXTEND MY
GREETINGS.
There's a valley in Spain called Jarama With the rest of The International Column
It's a place that we all, know too well In the fight for the freedom of Spain WE MUST NOT SLACKEN OUR EF-
For (t'was there that we gave of our We swore in that Valley of Jarama
FORTS WITH THE SPIRIT OF DE-
manhood That fascism never would reign.
TERMINATION THAT PREVAILS IN
And where most of our best Comrades THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE--
fell. We have left this dark Valley of sorrow WE MUST CONTINUE OUR FIGHT
And its memories we ne'er shall forget FOR THE CAUSE OF DEMOCRACY
We are proud of our Lincoln Battalion So before we continue this reunion IN SPAIN AND IN THE WORLD.
And the stand for Madrid that it made Let us stand for our glorious dead.
For we fought like true sons of the soil BILL LAWRENCE.
As a part of the 15th Brigade.
 THE VOLUNTEER FOR LIBERTY

Two Greetings
to the
Conference

Dr. Harry F. Ward and

Rabbi Levinger were
both invited to speak
at our Conference.
Being unable to, they
sent these letters.