Leo Shapiro Newspaper Collection

              War in Spain a Mere Rehearsal
As Compared to China, Says Writer
By  LEO  SHAPIRO

After nearly 14 months spent observing conditions in Europe and the
Orient, Daniel J. Coughlin, 39-year-
old Lowell resident, is afraid that
there is only one thing the world
respects "and that is force." And
that "the greater the force the greater the respect."
He is one of three American war
correspondents known to have covered both the trouble in Spain and
China.
"I'm afraid that if the Japanese
can conquer China those fantastic
stories of the 'Yellow Peril' may
contain altogether too much truth,"
he said. "I'm afraid that unless we
build a navy more powerful than
any other that we may live to regret
it at some not too distant date."
A student of the international situation, particularly as expressed by
radical and borderline liberal writers, and a radical himself, he
thought he had the answers to most
of the problems. He has returned,
after a first-hand examination, professing not to know any of the answers, and no longer a radical.
He has seen much and heard much
in Spain, in China, in Japan, in Germany, in Russia, which has served to
upset his previous notions and disillusion him. But of one thing he is
certain, and that is that all the talk
of peace, signing of pledges never to
bear arms, etc., is meaningless.
Moscow "A Poorhouse"
In one month's time, "Dan" lost
30 pounds and twice he was picked
up by Spanish soldiers who mistook the tall, brown-suited Lowell
man with ruddy complexion and
blue eyes, a short grey colored
mustache and a close cropped Hin-
denburg style haircut German.
In Germany, he saw enough, he
says, to convince him that Hitler,
in antagonizing not only the Jewish
population but the Catholics and
Lutherans, as well, "must be more
than a trifle mad." He found a
strong undercurrent of Communism
in Lisbon. In Italy, as in Germany, he was impressed by the
order which prevailed. In Moscow
only one day, he saw enough to
convince him that it is a "poor-
house."
While he was accused of being a
German in Spain, the Japanese suspected he might be a Russian and
he had the "pleasure" of being interviewed at his hotel every morning by a member of the Imperial
Police.
But if what was happening in'
Spain was shocking, he found what
was taking place in China "terrifying." "Spain seems like a poor
rehearsal when compared to the
Shanghai area," he said.
"I saw Japanese troops deliberately massacre Chinese women and
children at Soochow Creek," Coughlin said. This bore out his contention, he said, that to attend press
conferences daily during the intensive warfare would be a waste
of time if one wanted to learn about
the progress of the conflict.
Watched "Lost Battalion"
"One of the most- terrihle nTl__
beautiful sights I've ever witnessed
took place the night the Japanese
captured the godown, or warehouse;
housing the Chinese 'Lost Battal:
\^The Japanese had opengd-ftfe on
the warehouse with heavy guns
they had brought into position in the
ruins around the stronghold. Most
of these guns were firing at a point
blank range of less than 75 yards,
ably assisted by dozens of machine
guns, which were pouring out tracer
bullets so that against the west wall
of the 'godown' there appeared to
be a perfect fountain-like spray of
light.
"This terrific bombardment lasted
for about an hour and then quieted
down followed by the shout, from
thousands of Japanese throats in the
ruins around the godown, of 'Banzai', the equivalent of our hurray."
Favors Franco Victory
"I believe that in addition to being
inevitable, a Franco victory would
restore order to Spain much sooner
than a Leftist victory," he asserted.
"If the Leftists won they would have
to set up a Soviet form of government and that would be impractical
in Spain, as it is an agricultural
country."
When he first arrived in Spain he
felt that Franco should win
months' time.
"I've since stopped putting dates
on those things," he said.