NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 101, 25 October 1940, Page 8

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

SPAIN AND THE WAR

A STRICKEN COUNTRt i

TOLL OF REBELLION

I The German radio declarationI that Spain will not enter the war I at this time, with its apparent !.. revelation of a defeat for Ger- , | man diplomacy, is not surprising. in-view of the conditions in the Iberian Peninsula. .■;/■*■ Pro-Axis Stand.- . - At -the beginning of .this war. Spain! adopted a pro-Axis stand, • and mi I September last year she even carried out an infoi-mal blockade of Britain! ! and, France for. a time. This was done, wiihou t any definite statement of policy, by holding up shipments of iron and iron pyrites, ore,' two .of hep (principal, export, commodities, to Britain and France, even though -the, Allied navies had cut lines of cpmmunication to Germany . Other important commodities were also covered by the? jban. . ■■ ■ • ■ I Then early this year French ■ diplomacy improved relations with Spain, and a new tirade pact was signed providing that, France should- supplySpain with 175,000 tons of wheat and 35,000 tons of rice to meet Hie urgent need for foodstuffs, as well as' phosphates to help Spanish agriculture, elecJ trieal equipment, machinery,:arid othetf goods badly needed in rebuilding Spain. In return ,the French were to obtain substantial shipments of ' fruits; iron, iron pyrites, and smaller amounts of lead, mercury, sulphate of zinc, and. other metals. -. . ■ , ■ ■. . . , • Spanish Imperialism. ■' This had the effect of putting Franco* Spanish ties on a better basis;- but ultimately the pact did no;t work* for th« German attack in ; the west -was decisive. This was. followed by,an outburst of propaganda for the return [ot Gibraltar to Spain,' and finally by a revival of old Spanish claims to -an. Empire stretching far beyond ■ the seas. Even the Philippines were Included in some •of the -claims1 printed in the Spanish Press.' : ' Early in June Manuel Aznar,-- often regarded as the unofficial\ spokesman: of the ■ Government, called British retention of Gibraltar" "a useless offence^ to Spain, and vigorous demonstrations of students for the return of y'T.h« , Rock" were staged. One of. these'coincided with the arrival of Sir Samuel1 Hoare to take up " his, new * post. as Ambassador to Spain. .Later General Franco himself spoke of "new Spain's" aspirations. ' . , . . • Later the Fascist newspaper "Arriba" 1 published demands for 1,2Q0,Q00 'square miles of territory in Africa- and declared that "legitimate demands'', could i not, be limited to Gibraltar. , : r- ■ Preparations Made? . , I Preparations for 'an attempt -to reI gain' lost territory in Africa are said to go back to: 1936 and correspondents have reported that" the • 'Falangists (Fascists) were hoping that the Axis would render the French • Colonial Armies impotent -so that' Spanish troops might be sent into North Africa "to restore order." ■ ' • ' But' always present in 'any calculations of what- Spain, may do-*is' the calamitous result of the Spanish Civil War. Germany has been iioping for aid from Spain, for the past year., At least as early as November, 1939,- the German Press announced that' Franco would shortly enter the war and join in an attack on Gibraltar and' the same claim has been repeated from, time to time. ' But the visit to Ribberitrop, the German Foreign Minister, by' the Spanish Minister 'of Government, Ranion Suner, -last month :was an example of how greatly over-corifident the Nazis had been. ''.'''. I Reconstruction. Delayed. | The fact is,that though the Spanish j war ended about nineteen months ago I the task of reconstructing -the country* has hardly- been touched. • This year the Government, plans.to spend, onetwelfth of the total Budget on rebuilding wrecked homes; rpadSj and bridges, but this is. still merely. scratching the surface. Last month the work of tearing down the ruins of University, City, in Madrid, had .not. even been i begun. For this there are. reasons. | There is ; a shortage, of. transportation, Jof construction . materials.! and ot | skilled labour. . . . : : . :;. I Moreover, while industry has been j reviving and many ; articles may. be [purchased now. which could not b« had a year ago, Spain also hast her Mr. Nash. The Government's:, financial ! policy has, been not to accept, credits I abroad (a rule which had :to be. re- ; laxed to obtain essential supplies of j cotton and wheat) and consequently iit has been difficult to get,'materials [and machinery since German import* have been barred by the blockade. ! The Food Supply. \ Moreover the food situation has been i extremely grave. This has been due, jin part, to the policy of import con- | trol. Germany and Italy furnished much. i material in the Spanish war and Germany and Italy have been collecting their bills. In the past nineteen months the endeavour, has,been,, for. much of I the time,, to import .as little as possible I and to export as much as possible; to i settle tins debt and provide credits for such essentials as oil. The neglect of the farms during the war has told, and the unlucky weather -early- this* year has resulted in a bad wheat harvest. A Budget For.Oil. 1.,' To improve these conditions : ship- | ments of wheat had to be sent to th« ! country.- But the entry of Italy to th« ■war after a period of nine months in ' which,she. was able to accumulate, wir I stocks, including reserves of oil, proved decisive. for Spain. . For the. Churchill Government refused to" repeat th« error of the Chamberlain Government^ and'by an arrangement with th-5 United. States Spain .was given; a budgeted supply of oil, as." it had been, intended to give Italy at the outbreak of .war. This means she will Have no tunity: to- establish reserves: which ate vital to her, for her railway * system, is inadequate.. Moreover the regulation of shipments of all, commodities to Spain was prompt and apparently effective. The result of these things was shown when Hitler and Franco jmet. •>.••■ i ■ i '■ r