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FEBRUARY 1, 1963 THE MAROON TIGER Page 5 A REVIEW OF 1962 "AROUHD THE WORLD” Spotlight On Spain: A Year Of Political Upheaval Maria Rosa Borras World Student News The academic year which has just ended was undoubt edly one of the greatest poli tical upheaval in the history of the anti-Franco university movement. It can be said without exaggeration that since the Civil War and the victory of fascism in Spain the demonstrations and strikes of this year marked the high point in anti-Franco activities among students. If we take as a point of re ference the external reper cussions of anti-Francoism in the university, we find that during this academic year the students not only demonstrated against the dictatorship within the uni versity walls, as on pre- •Vvious occasions, but that vious occasions, but that they took their struggle and de monstrations into the streets with cries of “Freedom!” And it was in the streets that the students of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia shouted and manifested their opposition to the dictator ship, proclaiming their will for democracy. But to put some order into this brief account, per haps it would be best to re view the student actions of this year chronologically. In February, demonstra tions and strikes took place at Barcelona University. 20- th February marked the fifth anniversary of the 1st Free Student Assembly was called which became a protest de monstration that ended up in the streets with cries of “Freedom, Democracy Down with Franco, Am nesty!”. From 20th February to 2nd March, strikes and street demonstrations followed one another. The police attacked all of them with customary brutality in order to disperse the students. But each day the number of demonstrators was bigger and the slogan “Freedom!” a more con scious one. Four students had been arrested for painting on the University walls the words “Freedom, Democracy and Amnesty!”. They were un der military jurisdiction and charged with actions aimed “against state security” 1962 given prison sentences and Pedro Parra was set free for “lack of evidence”. Barcelona University Mani- In May, the Comite de Coordinacion Universitario, a body which groups students from the opposition politi- Demo-Christians to Com munists and including the Socialists, Progressives and Nationalists - issued a mani festo in which the main aims of the Barcelona University student struggle are out lined. Because of the docu ment’s importance I think it would be interesting to men tion at least several points it contains since space does not permit me to quote the entire text: “For the national and cul tural freedoms of the Catalonian people (right to" self-determination for the people of Catalonian, teach ing of the Catalonian tongue in schools, a bilingual Uni versity, etc). For basic political free doms (full freedom of press, the right of association, to strike, etc.). For the full democrati- sation of the University stu dent union (a free and non political union, a free stu dent congress). For tne annesty of Spanish political prisoners and exiles. For peace (against nuclear tests, against the presence of foreign military bases on Spanish soil.) In was this same Comite de Coordinacion Univer sitario which, in the name of our University students, ad dressed the International Conference in Rome/Genoa for the freedom of the Span ish people, held from 13th to 15th April. I quote from the address: “Catalonian university students lend their support to this Conference for the freedom of the Spanish peo ple. “We hope that the re sults of this Conference will not be limited to a mere moral condemnation of General Franco's political regime but will express its disapproval in concrete Spanish resistance move ment. 2. Setting up a Committee to aid the Catalonian and Spanish university students, and chiefly the establishment of a scholarship system for exiled students. 3. Coordinated action by the European democratic forces to prevent the entry of the Franco regime into the European Common Market. 4. International pressure to obtain the democratisation of the Spanish trade unions.” But the activities of this academic year do not end here. The strikes and other actions that occurred in Spain in April are justly regarded as the biggest anti- Franco manifestations of the Spanish people and are con sidered to be unique because of the ban on strikes under a fascist regime in which the rights of association and or ganisation are completely denied. The fact that 400,000 workers participated in the different regions of Spain- gives us a measuring stick ' 1 fry which to gauge them, ^reince the press of all ten dencies in almost every country. Has reported wide ly on this strike movement, I only wish to mention the Champion of Underdog: Steinbeck Wins Nobel Prize STOCKHOLM - John Steinbeck, whose hard-hitting novels brought him wealth and fame as a champion of the underdog, won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature yesterday. The 60-year-old California-born author, considerably mellowed in his writing and temperament since “The Grapes of Wrath” shocked the social conscience of the United States, is the sixth American to win the premier literary award. For nearly 30 years Stein beck has been turning out best sellers-a total of 27 books and countless maga zine and other articles that stirred controversy and rap tures of praise. FORMAL CITATION The 18-member Swedish Literary Academy, in awarding him the Nobel Prize, issued this formal citation: “For his at one and the same time realistic and imaginative writings, dis tinguished as they are by a symphathetic humor and a l^ocial perception.” Many students were ar-,/^ erms * propose to this rested during the demon strations but today the dic tatorship is so weak that it cannot suppress the pro tests which rise from all national strata. Therefore, those arrested during the a- bove-mentioned strikes and demonstrations were re leased after a short time with the exception of the four students tried on 5th March by a military court. Joaquin Sempere, Frederico Sanchez and Domingo Armora were Conference will not be limi ted to a mere moral con demnation “We hope that the results of this Conference will not be limited to a mere moral Franco's political regime but will express its disap proval in concrete terms, we propose to this Con ference consideration of the following points: 1. Setting up a Perma nent Committee to help the forces of the Catalonian and movement begun by the hero ic Asturian miners. “Franco no, Asturias yes!” In Madrid the students went down San Bernardo Street shouting: "Franco no Asturias yes, Opus no Asturias yes” They clashed with police and four students were arrested, among them Francisco Buero, nephew of the writer Buero Vallejo. The students held a meeting, attended by more than 1,000, where they unanimously called for solidarity with the striking workers of the Asturias and other parts of Spain, and protested against the recognition extended by the state to the Opus Dei University in Pamplona. The meeting ended with another demonstration and again the shouts of "Franco no, Asturias yes!” resounded on San Bernardo Street. 40 stu dents were detained and many others fined as a re sult. The students of Barcelona held a protest meeting in the University which erupted into Pelayo Street with shouts of “Freedom” and cheers from the bystanders. The next day, after gather ing in the central patio of the University, the students were preparing to go out into the street again 'when police broke into the courtyard. They beat the students brutally with clubs and ar rested several. The follow ing day a new demonstration was suppressed with the same brutality and more stu dents who were pointed out to the police by Opus Dei in formers were arrested. This time, incidentally, the police were armed with guns. Of the students who were, arrested some are still in jail awaiting court martial. They are: Anna Salles, Manuel Vas- quez (journalist) and Salva dor Clotas of the Arts Facul ty, Martin Capdevilla, An tonia Apponte, Alberto Bal lesteros, Pedro Puig, of the Faculty of Economics, Isidro Molas, Luis Aviles, of the Faculty of Law, Alfredo Baron of the Fa culty of Geology, and Fernando Fulta of the Fa culty of Physical Sciences. The opposition political parties at the University iss ued a solidarity declaration with the striking Asturian miners. Out of all these activities I think the main lesson to be learned is that unity has been established among the stu dents of all tendencies, with- out any exceptions. In its announcement of the award, the Academy went further': “Among the masters of modem American literature who have already been awarded the prize - from Sinclair Lewie to Ernest Hemingway - Steinbeck more than holds his own, indepen dent in position and achieve ment. REDEEMED MOTIF There is in him a strain of humor which to some ex tent redeems his often cruet and crude motif. His sym pathies always go out to the oppressed, the misfits and the distressed, he likes to contrast the simple joy of life with the brutal and cyni cal craving for money. Steinbeck received inter national acclaim for “The Grapes of Wrath,” a power ful story of the “Okies” fleeing the dust bowl. It grew out of his feelings for the migrants after living with them. It won him the Pulit zer Prize in 1940 and became a hit stage play and movie. “But in him we find the American temperament also expressed in this great feel ing for nature.” Steinbeck's most recent novel, “The Winter of Our Discontent,” published last year, is about a small-town grocery clerk who plots a bank robbery as a quick way of regaining his family’s lost fortune and social status. HE PUT A NEW NATION 'ON COURSE’