Spanish Duchess May Be Gaoled

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 17

Spanish Duchess May Be Gaoled

(N.Z.P-4. -Reuter—Copyright) MADRID, October 16. The Duchess of Medina Sidonia will face a possible 12 months gaol sentence on Tuesday because of her efforts on behalf of villagers in southern Spain whose land was damaged by accidentally-dropped American hydrogen bombs.

Th® 31-year-old “Red Duchess,” as she has been called because of her social crusades, will be tried in Madrid for allegedly organising an attempted protest march by villagers of Palomares near which the four unarmed H-bombs fell in January, 1966.

The Duchess Dona Luisa Isable Alvarez de Toledo y Maura. Duchess of Medina Sidonia, Marchioness of Villafranca del Bierzo and Marchioness de Los Velez does not appear to be worried about her trial. She says she sees it as an unpleasant part of her long campaign to win $U52,500,000 in compensation for the villagers. Interviewed in her Madrid apartment, she said with a

smiie and a shrug of her shoulders: “I would prefer not to be on trial, but if they sentence me it will only mean spending a little time in the shade.” She says the United States had paid only a small part of the compensation claimed by the villagers. So far the United States has paid out $556,104 on 475 claims. It has rejected 107 others and, according to the Duchess, recently refused further compensation. The Duchess, a brunette, was detained by civil guards as she tried to lead 1000 villagers out of Palomares last January 17, anniversary of the collision between a jet tanker and a United States bomber which scattered three H-bombs round the village and one into the sea nearby.