The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939. THE POWERS AND SPAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 22, 27 January 1939, Page 6

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939. THE POWERS AND SPAIN.

For f/10 caime that Inrfm assinfince. A'or //ie trrong that needs resistance. For the. future in the distance. And the good that we can do.

With the fail of Barcelona it is everywhere u».»uiued that tin? rjtd of the civil war in Spain is now only u matter of time, though not necessarily of the short time that humanitarian opinion would wish. A? the war throughout its course has been so important to all the Europpim Powers that there was danger that it would precipitate a wider conflict, so will the peace settlement he important to them. If it was too much to expect that the Spanish conflict could be decided without foreign intervention it is. beyond doubt that the major Powers, directly or indirectly, will exercise their influence now. The Powers most closely concerned, in war and in peace, are of eouoe Italy and France. The Italian Government'd attitude is known, and unequivocal. It will be satisfied with nothing Jess Hum a peace dictated by General F: atw-o «.-> conqueror. In the nature of the dictation it will of course demand a voiee, and General Franco, however much he may wish to create an independent (Spain, wilt not be able to ignore the Power whose troops are still in Spain and withon whose aid his campaign might not have succeeded at ail. In this connection it is significant that the full of Barcelona ii being hailed in Italy as ao Italian victory. If Italy i* dUisely and naturally concerned with the future statue and form of government in Spain, so is France. So, too, is Britain, both n& a Mediterranean Power and a« an ajly of Fran**. Ike po**ibiliu** are boundlcsa. A Spain subservient to Italy, • member of the Fascist bloc, would contribute • new and utanding threat to French maialaed territory, to French and British **a eooununieations and to French North AfrieM colonies. By further weakening the position of France it might weaken Britain'e ally, «vca to the point when she would become ft liability. These •re some of the* eonsiderationg to which the Governments of Europe have long been alive, and oonoerniof which the British view will probably he made dear next week. It may be a BKtaneaious week is European history.