A BACKGROUND OF THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 259, 31 July 1939, Page 7

A BACKGROUND OF THE NEWS

Franco The Dictator Having won the Spuni.-li Civil War, General Franco is trying his hand at national dictatorship, and is facing the inevitable problems of conllicting party ambitions. Seemingly, a dispute has risen between the military group (who were (lie active co-operators with General Franco in organizing the rebellion against the Government in 1030) and (he Falange Espanola, or Spanish Fascist Party. General Franco is the head of the Falange, and it was round the banner of this organization that the youth of Spain, who made up the rank and file of General Franco's Spanish forces, gathered. The Falange, however, is a civilian-political rather than a military organization, so the present struggle for power, or preferential treatment, under the new Nationalist regime may be said to be a conflict between the militarists and the political section. The position of General Franco himself is a difficult one. He succeeded with the aid of both groups, together with Fascist and Nazi assistance from abroad. He is the head of each, and uncompromising support of one might well be regarded as a betrayal of the other. So far, however, he appears to be supporting the Falangists, as reports have come to band of the "purgirg” of the military group and the displacement from high positions of frie-ids of General de Llano, who appears to be emerging as the leader of the military malcontents. [ An Earlier Prediction As long ago as in January last, when the civil war in Spain was by no means wou by the Nationalists, a writer in the ‘'Nineteenth Century” predicted that there would be trouble in the ranks of General Franco’s supporters if he were victorious. ‘‘To start tiiis war,” the -riter observed. ‘‘Franco had a subversive force —Spanish Fascism —which alone would never have beet) of importance, but witli the aid of the army it. was sufficient to terrify the country and submit it to its will. "By virtue of this Fascist force, Franco brought about the insurrection, investing it. from the first day with complete authority, and disdaining the socially eonservalive forces on which, till then, be had depended. In the same way at first he dropped the dictatorship (the former de Itivera regime), and then the Monarchy. "Franco finally abandoned the conservative forces of the country, in whose name he bad rebelled, in order io support international Fascism, and its ambitions in (be Mediterranean and Northern Africa. International Fascism has allowed him to wage a terrific war against his own country for over two years, with no other aim in view save that of restoring in Spain a personal and arbitrary authority, which will not in the end be that of the Falange Espanola (the hour will soon arrive when the Falangists will be disillusioned), but rather the authority of mi officer who lias become the instrument of the imperialism of the totalitarian Powers.” ■ Turkey And Hatay France’s action early this mouth in ceding Hatay to Turkey has been adversely commented upon by some L'nited States critics, whose comment at the time anticipated this week’s news that Armenian refugees are fleeing the territory. ‘The northern, mountainous part of Hatay is to go to adjacent Syria,” wrote one commentator. ‘‘To go to Turkey, however, is the mountain of Musa Dagh, scene of the 1935 bestseller, ‘Forty Days of Musa Dagh.’ "But the real losers of last week’s French-Turkish diplomacy were the Arabs. As for the Itepublic of Syria, It will be a land-locked country, dispossessed of a sea outlet. From the sloping hills of Southern Anatolia to Ihe sharp, barren rocks of Aden, there were bound to be universal and indig-, mint protests that the Arabs had again i been betrayed, that an Arab State had again suffered as the pawn of BritishFrench power politics. The soft, sweet words that Aggrandizer Hitler undoubtedly whispered to Khalid al Hud at Berchtesgaden, the intlammabie nnti-British and anti-French propaganda that goes over the ether nightly from Italian and German radio stations, will probably fall ou more receptive Arab ears hereafter.” Holland’s Colonial Defence In September, according to a cable message, Holland is to give effect to plans for the reinforcement, of her Navy for colonial defence. Like Great Britain, Holland is a small country with a huge colonial empire. Situated in the East and West Indies, it embraces au area of 790,000 square miles, with a total population of about 70,0i >O.OOO. The Netherlands Indies, or East Indian Dutch possessions, are the most vital to her empire welfare, and also the most vulnerable in the present international state of affairs. They include Java and .Madura, the island of Sumatra, the Kiau-Lingga Archipelago, Bangka, Billiton, Borneo West, South and East, Celebes, Molucca Islands, the Timor Archipelago, Bali and Lombok. The total area there is 735,000 square miles, and the total population 01,000,000. The naval defences in the Dutch East Indies consisted up to a year or so ago of 39 warships, including two light, cruisers, eight destroyers, 12 submarines, two gunboats, five mine-layers, eight mine-sweepers, two survey vessels and a training ship. There was also a -Colonial Navy” of 15 small vessels, manned largely by natives and having no great defensive value, together with a naval air service of about 70 hydropla ties. U.S. And West Indies Ilccently it was suggested in the l'nited States Senate that, instead of spending vast sums on armaments which would soon be obsolete, the Government of the L'nited States should ; "purchase the Dutch West Indies ami : Dutch Guiana ns a permanent improye- ■ ment. to our national defence in a vulnerable portion of our armour.” Curacao, largest of the Dutch West Indian Islands, is located strategically in the path of Trinidad-l’amim.-i shipping and athwart New York-Venezuela lines of communication. Willemstad, tlx; port of Curacao, is one of the most thriving in the world. Adjacent, to Curacao are Aruba and Bonaire, about 50 miles off Venezuela. The three Islands, plus several smaller ones, have a total area of about 1000 square miles. The originator of the scheme, .Senator Lundeen, pointed out that one-fifth of the world's aluminium is found in Dutch and British Guiana, and that, moreover, that area would provide a haven for European refugees whose immigration is not now encouraged by the (United States.