The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1937. THE PROPAGANDA FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1937. THE PROPAGANDA FRONT.

For the cause that lack* assintnnee, For the trrong that needt resistance, for the future in the distance, And the good thai ire can do.

The Spnni.sh civil war continues on several fronts, but nn one only, the propaganda front, is activity incessant. This uctivity is never jrn'iiUT th;in when the Powers, as at present, lire about to begin consultations with the object of redefining their attitude to the eninhntnnt.s. It may be presumed that the Governments, through their diplomatic and military services, are fairly accurately informed jis to the facts of the situation. But in democratic countries public opinion cannot be disregarded. As happened in Britain after I lie disclosure of the Hoare-Laval proposals, a Government may be engulfed in a sudden wave of public sentiment, and to save itself be obliged to alter its course. It is to public opinion in the democratic countries, therefore, that the propaganda of Valencia and Salamanca is directed. If, in Britain especially, the public can be induced to accept a view favourable to one Spanish Government or the other, then that Government has gained an initial advantage in negotiations. The Non-intervention Committee is to consider the proposal, strongly supported by Britain and France, that foreign military forces in Spain be withdrawn. How great are those forces? On no other question is information so conflicting. It is conflicting because of the work of the propagandists. To-day a well-informed London newspaper says there are in Spain about 80,000 Italians and 10,000 "German technicians and Moors." (This reference to the Moors is obscure, for they cannot be claimed as "foreign" troops.) The Republican "international brigade," according to the same source, "probably includes only 5000 men who have had previous international training." Compare these estimates with others. The Valencia Government says it has "at the most" 15,000 foreigners, while General Franco has 110,000. Bat the Italian Government officially declares that its "volunteers" in Spain number about 40,000, and that Valencia has many more. Though the importance of mere numbers seems unduly magnified by the present controversy, the purpose of the respective estimates is dear. On behalf of Italy it has been suggested that an equal number of foreign troops should be withdrawn from each side. If the total numbers on each side were approximately equal, the suggestion would have merit, bat if the London report is true—that the proportion of foreigners fighting is four to one in favour of General Franco—the fear expressed that it is merely a time-wasting suggestion seems ftrfly justified. Certainly, if some Powers are intent on finding reasons for not withdrawing foreign troops they can easily do so, and the meeting of the Committee will be doomed to failure.