THE SPANISH STRUGGLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 22, 25 July 1936, Page 8

THE SPANISH STRUGGLE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Thursday's sub-leader in the "Evening Post" calls for a few obser^ vations which I trust you will permit. Admittedly a revolt against a freelyelected Government is deplorable, but. President Azana and the present Spanish Government can hardly complain on that score as their party open--Iy sympathised with the recent revolt in the Asturias and Catalonia against the former Government, also be it .noted, freely elected. The Government can hardly expect to have it both ways in such a matter. It might also be mentioned that Louis Fischer is a well-known apologist for Russianism, and, that being so, his remarks on Spain should be read with this knowledge. Any reference to back numbers of the New York "Nation" will verify this criticism.

The quotations given in the "Evening Post" on July 21 from the article by Frederick Birchnall in the "New York Times" would seem to indicate that the present Government in Spain' had failed in a primary duty, that of preserving ord,er. It might be noted that the first Republican Government of Azana failed similarly, and that whatever the faults of succeeding Governments under1 Lerroux and others they did stop the orgy of church burning and convent bombing, which are hardly a manifestation of lofty principles.. If Lerroux could stop these incidents surely Azana could also.

The anti-Church attitude of Azana's Governments certainly indicates a sectarian bias which is no necessary part of social reform; in fact a hindrance to it in a country with strong traditions in religion. Naturally most of us here, being raised in the "Westward Ho" tradition now rather dog-eared in the light ot modern history, are not greatly concerned about anti-church movements in Spain, although we would rightly be horrified at outrages similar to some that have been reported in Spain if they occurred in New Zealand. Violence inevitably leads to counter violence, and thus hinders evolutionary reforms. The French Revolution undoubtedly frightened public opinion in England for.St least three decades and hindered social reform! during that period. The Russian Revolution, followed by the Bela Kuhn dictatorship in Hungary, have certainly helped to breed reactionary Fascism and Nazism. The fear of Bolshevism is very real in Spain today, and allied to a wide knowledge of recent events in Mexico, has probably encouraged General Franco to make his bid for power. Whatever the outcome it would seem that Parliamentary Government is unsuitable to a country with & high percentage of illiteracy and a tradition of corrupt French liberalism in its pubhe life.—l am, etc.,

MANANA.