THE PRESSURE ON SPAIN.

Evening Star, Issue 23717, 26 October 1940, Page 10

THE PRESSURE ON SPAIN.

If evidence was wanted of the difficulties in which the Axis Powers find themselves, it could be furnished by the attempts made to bring Spain into tlie war on their side. When Senor Suner, General Franco’s right-hand man, visited Berlin recently at the invitation of Hitler, he refused to enter into any commitment on behalf of the Spanisli Government. The result was that the Fuhrer had to eat humble pie and make a journey to the Spanish frontier m an endeavour to bring General Franco out on his side. Reluctance on the part of the latter to become involved in hostilities can be well understood. His country was ravaged by the fierce civil war, and since that struggle ended the Gov,eminent has been absorbed by its efforts to repair the enormous damage that was done and to bring order among the people. Further, General Franco is a devout son of the church, and his actions during the civil war were largely influenced by that fact; therefore, Hit-

ler’s intolerance of Christianity and his attitude to organised religion must have been repellent to the Spanish leader. Following the meeting between Hitler and Franco, there has been a flood of rumours and speculation, but so far nothing definite has emerged from the talks. Naturally' the Berlin radio professes to bo jubilant over the meeting. That can be passed over. Tho real point at issue is as to whether Spain can withstand the Axis pressure and abandon her neutrality to the extent at least of granting Germany and Italy facilities on the Atlantic seaboard.

In a dispassionate article on the position, the Catholic journal, ‘ Zcalaudia ’ recently said that many observers, including “noted military experts,” predicted that Hitler and Mussolini would force Spain to come in with them following Italy’s belated entry into the conflict. Their argument was that Franco was indebted to Germany and Italy for helping him to win the civil war, and therefore he could not refuse to pay if they should insist that he was morally under an obligation to help them to fight tho Allies. Against this it is contended that Nationalist Spaniards feel that they have paid in full for all the material help the Axis partners gave them. German and Italian trade organisations saw to it that Spain’s rich natural resources—copper, iron ore, pyrites, wool, wine, and even wheat and olive oil—provided generous compensation for aircraft and other war material supplied to Franco. The claim is made that the Spanish leader has never had political ambitions, and that he remains as a peace-time dictator, to direct Spain’s gigantic post-war reconstruction programme, merely for the same sincere patriotic reasons for which he agreed to become the generalissimo of the Nationalist forces. Hitler’s understanding with Stalin had a marked effect on Spanish Nationalist opinion, and as one commentator remarked: “The Fuhrer may have changed his mind about Russian Communism, but Franco has not.” His feeling of hostility to Bolshevik atheists is ns strong as ever. So far General Franco has maintained a cautious policy of neutrality. There is little doubt that he would like to continue his present attitude. Whether or not ho will be able to withstand the pressure that is obviously being put upon him by the Nazi and Italian bullies remains to be seen.