U.S. REPORT ON SPAIN

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24882, 23 May 1946, Page 5

U.S. REPORT ON SPAIN

RUMOURS OF ATOMIC WORK NOT UPHELD

limited capacity to WAGE WAR (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (R ®c- » PJn ) NEW YORK, May 21. repor t submitted to ..tL Nations sub-qommittee investigating Spain, Says that the United Dres^n+ b fllh7 eS th ®J Spain cannot at at a- modem war, and that States does not possess rec t evidence of the production of atomic energy within Spain. r ®P° r t adds: “The United States otate Department knows of uranium deposits in Spain, and that the State has reserved their exploitation. Apart from one unconfirmed report that one iS’JTSSJ, be in production, tne United States has no evidence supporting the rumours relating to the pr «^2J^ c^lon . atomic energy. ‘The United States possesses no evin *to believe that in other, fields there is significant progress m Spain in the development of new or methods of destruc-

The report charges Nationalist Spain, from the outset to the present, with fomenting.focal points of Nazi and Fascist influence in the western hemisp j diplomatic officials and ’Spaniards in quasi-official organisations for years have been encouragin^Lt£ roups . w ithin the American republics. which opposed inter-American unity against the Axis during the war, and which still strive to perpetuate !5 e B rinc lB le S the Axis system in the New World, ’ says the report. It adds that the present strength of the Spanish armed forces is estimated at more than 600,000. Spain’s warwaging capacity is limited by the inadequacy of her raw materials and industrial facilities, poor transportation, a nd lack of progress in developing highly technical equipment. The report also alleges that General Franco has not co-operated fully in returning Germans to Germany. Argentina has informed the committee that she does not possess information on the question of the Franco regime being a menace to world peace. Norway has offered to participate in international action in favour of a democratic Spain.