The Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1945. FRANCO’S SPAIN.

Evening Star, Issue 25672, 21 December 1945, Page 4

The Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1945. FRANCO’S SPAIN.

In two respects the position of Spain is unique now that the war has ended. It still has a Fascist Government, cherishing, though no longer proclaiming, all the principles against which the United Nations fought, and it still has a Government-in-Exile. though not of the traditional kind. Governments* in-Exile in war time were the established regimes, forced to flee from countries occupied bv the enemy, but Senor Giral’s Administration is selfconstituted and exists only as a challenge to the ruling authority. Since it exists as far awav as Mexico, the challenge might be thought to be harmless. but its emissaries have been active in Europe and its Foreign Minister is not confined to a chancellery. It has been announced that he is coming to London to seek an interview with Mr Attlee and Mr ©evin with a view to obtaining a clear conception of the British Government’s attitude to the Spanish Republicans. Already he knows its attitude to Franco’s Government in Madrid. Mr Bevin “ detests the regime,” seat to Coventry by the United Nations, but he is‘not ready to do anything that would involve the risk of bringing civil war to Spain. .Russia might take that risk. The Acting Soviet Ambassador to America. addressing a “rally” of 17.000 persons sponsored by Spaniards in America which was held recently in Madison Square Gardens, New York, called for the removal of Franco and his trial ns a war criminal. For America to commit herself to that course would he. as an American comnien'itor has put it, “ beginning something the country was not ready to see through.’’ The American Government has been willing to go just as far as that of Britain, and no further. Its attitude has been shown with sufficient clearness by its economio policy. It is continuing the war-time controls on exports to Spain, though it has lifted them for most other countries. But it has forborne from tightening those controls. Officials stated recently that no economic sanctions against Spaiu were contemplated. Nor, according to the commentator before quoted, does the United States look with official approval on the Spanish Government-in-Exile, though _ Mexico and Guatemala, for what their influence may be worth, have recognised it. “ The provisional Government’s pretensions to represent, the present sentiment in Spain have yet to be proved.” The official attitude of Britain does not satisfy all supporters of its Government.’ Many of these will have contributed to the message which the World Trade Union Congress Federation, representing 70,000 members, has sent to the Foreign Ministers’. Conference in Moscow asking the Big Three to break off relations with Franco’s Spain. Professor Laski has pleaded publicly that this course should be combined with recognition of the Go-vernment-in-Exile. Franco meanwhile has been doing his best to commend himself and making no impression at all. In Spain itself reports credit the Communists with being most active against the regime. They are at odds with the Anarchists, who also oppose it. Franco’s power would appear to be slipping without international action, though his secret police are still strong. There has been cause to expect that once the United Nations Organisation gets working, Brettou Woods begins operating, world conferences on trade, education, finance, and similar matters start binding nations closer together, automatically he will find himself squeezed out by Spain’s isolation. That is the best way in which his regime could be ended.