FRANCO CERTAIN TO

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 73, 20 December 1937, Page 8

FRANCO CERTAIN TO

A Portuguese View

DICTATORSHIP WILL BE TEMPORARY

“Whichever side wins will be compelled to establish a dictatorship to restore law and order,” said Mr. F. Saalfeld, a Portuguese visitor to Wellington, when asked his views on the Spanish war. As .to which side will win, Mr. Saalfeld has no doubt. “It is 100 per cent, certain that Franco will be the victor,” he said. "The only reason he is going slowly is that he wishes to spare as many lives as possible.”

Mr. Saalfeld is sales manager of Mundet and Company, Lisbon, the biggest cork-producing firm in the world. He is visiting agents in Australia and New Zealand.

"A dictatorship will exist only till things are settled.” he said. “Franco himself has no political ambitions. He is a soldier first and last and his acceptance of the leadership of the rebels was to him a real sacrifice. He did not want it but did what he considered to be his duty. There is no doubt that he will retire after a few years.” While living in Spain about five years ago, Mr. Saalfeld was introduced to General Franco by an army officer. "He is a most charming man, possessing great personal magnetism, and is held in great affection by all his officers,” he said. “His views are moderate and he has none of the fanaticism of Hitler or Mussolini. The youngest of the rebel leaders, he is determined and courageous and undoubtedly a brilliant soldier.”

Everywhere he went he found misunderstanding as to the true nature of the conflict in Spain, said Mr. Saalfeld. The Government existed only in name. Its supporters were Communists and anarchists of the worst type whose only wishes were to abolish capital and religion and establish a Soviet. “Why they are called ‘Loyalists’ I can’t imagine,” he said. “To what are they loyal? Certainly not to Spain. Friendly To England.

“Franco is definitely, friendly toward England, but has no great friendship for Italy or Germany. He will never cede any Spanish territory to Mussolini and has said so time and again. Italy and Germany will be given the advantage of trade treaties, however. England’s mining interests in Spain will be respected as Franco cannot afford to antagonise England. “The Spaniard is very hot-blooded and on neither side are they saints, but General Franco has never allowed crimes in his territory such as have been committed by the Loyalists. In the territory Franco has conquered—-two-thirds of Spain—life is perfectly normal and the living conditions of the working class have been greatly improved. Franco’s rebellion would never have survived IS months if it did not have the support of the majority of the Spanish people. "One hears only of intervention by Germany and Italy, but there are thousands of Russians and Frenchmen fighting for the Government,” said Mr. Saalfeld. “Russia has made a good business of intervention for all her assistance to the Government has been paid for with gold. She has been interfering in Spain ever since Alfonso abdicated.” No Submission To Fascism.

In England, the Spanish character was’not understood, he said. Spain would never submit to Fascist rule. It had done so for a time under Primo de Rivera, but Rivera went too far and was driven out. There was no doubt that he had been a great patriot, and at first the people of Spain adored him. There was little likelihood, he said, of a restoration of the Spanish monarchy. None of Alfonso’s sons had any ability. Nor did he think the Royalists would be likely to start trouble after the war if Franco made no attempt to restore the monarchy. The two Royalist factions—Carlisfs and Bourbons—had been driven together by the common enemy—Communism.

The stories of the complete destruction of Guernica, the ancient Basque capital, by German bombing planes were mentioned by Mr. Saalfeld. These stories had been later contradicted and it had been proved beyond a shadow' of doubt that the Basque Provisional Government itself had cabled the news, to English papers. The papers concerned thought the reports were front their own correspondents and naturally had published them.