TOURING THE SPANISH GAOLS

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 219, 16 September 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

TOURING THE SPANISH GAOLS

Books In Review

Mr. peter elstob was a young American - educated Englishman who threw up his college course and came to England to join the Royal Air Force in search of adventure. Having: got into some sort of disfavour with the authorities, he had resigned his commission "by request, and was wondering what to do next when he was invited to ro to Spain and fly for the Government forces. H<> accepted; ami in "Spanish Prisoner" (Macmillan) lie tell* the story of his advent ures. His not to jm ami fly: hi* 1 >nt in jiaol to lie. Some not very dincreot. behaviour, combined with an accidental informality in his

papers, aroused in the Government officials the idea that Mr. Klstob was not what he seemed, and Ik; was cast straightway into prison, and the book ipi an account ot his experiences there, it is a terrifying record of summary execution and star-chamber trials. True there were no beatings, tfuture, or forced interrogations in Mr. Elstoh's book; but ma ny of his prison acquaintances were taken out into the gaol vard without warning, after a, "trial"'' at which t hey themselves had not even been present, and shot. Mr. Klstob convinces his readers that Spanish justice under martial law on the (Jovernmcnt side was a mockerv; he also leave* them with tile definite iui pres-ioti that his own indiscretion and boistcroiifness were wholly responsible for the terrible fix he found himself in.