FRANCO'S SPAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 73, 28 March 1938, Page 11

FRANCO'S SPAIN.

WHAT IS IT LIKE ?

GENERAL MORALE GOOD.

EASY ITIVING EVERYWHERE.

(By DAVID DARRAH.) BL'ROOS. Spain. What is it lik*e on lieneral Francisco Franco'.-; side in Spain? It is much like it was before tlie Spanish civil war started. Air raids liock of the lines for the. moment tend to produce jittery anticipation. Even cities as far removed as Bilbao now have pouted notices advising the public what to do in case of air bombardment. Air raids, however, while disturbing, have made no change in the morale of the people, and travelling through the cities of rebel Spuin--Sau Sebastian. Hillmo. Vitoria, Burgos, Salamanca, Avila. Vnlladolid. and even Saiagossa —shows that the people are going about their business unconcernedly. Living is easy everywhere. Prices have not risen perceptibly. Shops even ill townis near the front are well stocked with goods. Restaurants and cafes are tilled. " One can choose between watching a bull light or hearing a symphony concert t*»'ice a week in San Sebastian, Bilbao or Vnlladolid, or he can go to sec an American film for one peseta, or ;">d. A bullfight costs 1/3 and a concert 1 /OV. The bank* in Bilbao, San Sebastian and Salamanca hum with activity, and are full of people. They seem to be carrying on the usual variety of business. .Much paper money in in circulation, the notes being as low as one peseta. But one sees a lot of silver also. There] is what the Spaniards call the "doiiro." or five-peseta, silver coin, as well as the one and two-peseta pieces. In the south money appears to be scarcer than in the north. In Salamanca cafes, in fact, one sees signs reading: "Ask us if we have change before drinking your drink." Living Very Cheap. In spite of 20 months of war, living is still very cheap. At the better restaurants, such as Luiano's in Balboa, the Richolasa in San Sebastian, or the lira ml Hotel in Salamanca, a sumptuous meal with wine is served for about 5/K. 1" all restaurants a "plato unico," or single dish, is served one day a week, usually Thursday. Une is charged as much as for regular meals; the balance over cost is contributed to the welfare fund. Single-dish day is also intended for economising on food. On Sundays meals are served without dessert.

Gasoline in rebel Spain costs about Del a litre, or al>out 2/11 a gallon* Its sale is unrentrietod, and anyone can buy as much as he likes. Prices in the market house at Salamanca indicated that food staples are very cheap. Bread is 2WI a Hi, beef 1/01 a lb. A large chicken can he bought for about 1/KH. potatoes for roughly 2d a lb, and tomatoes ]Jd a lb. ijalanianca, nil old university town, ia less overcrowded than last summer, now that General Franco has moved his headquarter up to Burgos. But all the diplomats are in Salamanca, and it is packed with more people than it can accommodate. The city has six night clubs and two modest cabarets. In all rebel cities lights are extinguished in public places about midnight. Afterward the citizens go home by moonlight or electric flashlight. It is curious that lights arc burned at all after dark, because of air raids. It wan amazing to see Avila on its high hill with its li.L'lit blazing, for the city' is uncomfortably close to the Madrid front. Rebel Law Making. Tt seems, however, that air raiders do not like Hying at night over the mountains. which they must do in Spain. They appear always iu the daytime, usually in the mornings. The breweries of Seville are turning out enough beer to supply most of rebel Spain, and a .schooner of it costs about :Ud. General Franco's peseta, despite the fact tha.t he h«is no gold reserves, brings more iu banks outside of Spain than does the Loyalist peseta. Ivcchange is effected inside Spain at a forced rate of .">2 pesetas for .CI sterling.

Hundreds of decree laws have been flashed hv tliu Uurgos reliel junta (now replaced l»y a new Cnbinet). Tile decrees regulate such matters as security of tenure for peasants, accident insurance for workers, an anti-tuberculosis campaign, a 42-hour week for labour, rent remission for the families of volunteers, ami anti-profiteering.

There is not much crime. The Courts, from published records, appeur to be concerned mostly with levying lines, on profiteers and violators of administrative regulations. They haul up anyone who talks too much or spreads rumours. San Sebastian papers last week told of one Spanish countess who was fined 1000 peseta* (about .U2O) for a false rumour. A visitor notices also that fewer civil guards and policemen stop vehicles on the roads now than last summer. In Uilbao, flourishing commercial and milling town on the Jiay of Biscay, Hermans are establishing themselves where the British once jirevailed. (!erm<in prestige in Spain i* growing, nn<l Italian influence is much less conspicuous than last summer. The Hermans are doing much technical organisation and administrative work in Spanish, bureaux. —- ■Chicago "Tribune" Service.