edward k barsky papers

Dr. Edward K. Barsky was a surgeon at the Beth Israel Hospital right here in New York City - it is right across the street from where I dorm.

Barsky initially found out about the Spanish Civil War during a meeting of the Spanish Delegation who had come to America to ask for help and supplies. Among the delegation were a female lawyer, and a priest in the Catholic Clergy. Despite the general position of the church to side with the bourgeoisie in Spain, this Priest and apparently his entire church, of Spain's Basque region, were sympathetic with the republicans.

Franco had been trying to eliminate Basque people and speakers completely as well.

Nationalist rebels united against Spain's new, democratically elected government, "The Popular Front."

The interesting struggle of the Spanish Civillians was that they were fighting for communism, only to have means to live by. They did not ask for violence. They did not ask for money. All they wanted was the right to own property, and enough food to eat.

In the fact of such a revolution, the American Revolution seems spoiled.

Here are people, the Spaniards, who have been oppressed, truly oppressed by their aristocratic society so that they can hardly grow on their land, their only means of living, and can not afford to eat.

Americans, by contrast, wanted revolution because we did not feel it fair to be taxed. Despite the fact our home country of England provided all the means necessary for us to live, the American Patriots complained. But here is where the Spanish Revolution and American Revolution are similar - each group rebelling did so because its ruling class did not listen to their needs and they did not have a democratic say.

It is for this reason Edward K. Barsky founded the American Medical Bureau - for he realised that a threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere.

Eventually, Barsky became chairman of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee. He continued his dedication to fighting unfairness and anti-democratic forces in Europe by raising funds at home in America and sending supplies and encouraging volunteers to do what they could. Barsky, who took on the job of head of the American Medical Bureau when no one else was willing, was instrumental in the effort to aid Democracy in Spain.