Tommy O'Brien, known to many workers in the Left-wing movement in Duiblin, who recently went along with a number of others, to join forces with the International Brigade in Spain, writes to one of his friends.
"I am very glad I came out here. You have no idea of the strength of our movement until you have seen seven or eight groups of different nationalities, all singing the 'International'. But that's only a small thing. On our way to Spain we met a 19-year-old German in France - a machine-gunner. He'd been in the fighting at Toledo. He couldn't go back to Germany. He knew this before he set out, but it didn't stop him. Meeting this sort of thing impresses more than speeches.
"I don't know much about the general military position here but one thing I do know is that the people here are in no defeatist mood. Franco's drive to the sea has stiffened the back of everyone and greater co-operation with the Government to defeat Franco is now evident everywhere. Franco is going to get no speedy victory, as he has been forecasting. As soon as our forces can get sufficient material the position will be altered.
"Alec Digges, Willie McGregor and the other lads are all in good health and doing excellent work. All of us now would like to get letters from our friends at home, giving news of what's happening inside and outside the movement. No one need be afraid to burden us with detail news. And a most important point to our friends should remember is, that we can always find time to smoke cigarettes. They are very scarce here, and at times we are compelled to resort to all sorts of 'choice' blends, herbs, coffee and even onion leaves! if a few packets of Woodbines are enclosed in each letter they will reach us and what a welcome they'll get!"
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