SPAIN BARKS

Evening Star, Issue 25679, 31 December 1945, Page 6

SPAIN BARKS

WARNING TO OUTSIDE WORLD WILL BROOK HO INTERFERENCE IN RIGHTS MADRID, December 29. Interference by foreigners in Spanish internal affairs would l not be tolerated, says a Note issued by the Spanish Government after a meeting of the Council Ministers, headed by General Franco, alleging an insidious campaign launched against Spain by her enemies with the aid of gold and jewels worth £40,000,000 looted during the civil war. The Note states: “Spain considers, campaigns of this kind attack the sovereign rights of the independent: people of Spain. Spain maintains her rights, and is ready to isolate herself from all those who hold such a stunted conception of international relations.” The Note claims that Spain maintained a peaceful neutrality during the World War, although belligerents of both sides planned to attack her. Spain rejected the supposition that there was any fundamental political problem in Spain, since, after all attempts at concord had failed, the country solved its own problems over six years ago by a Nationalist victory, just as in a similar manner the world solved its problems by means of the last war.” Amid a roar of “ Franco, Franco,’ - and with many arms raised in the Falangist salute, the Spanish Cortes last night endorsed the Government Note answering calumnies from abroad. Action was taken without a vote after the President of the Cortes, Senor Esteban Bilbao, reiterated the Government’s contention that Spain has a pure democracy. Senor Bilbao said that Spain’s internal policy was exclusively a Spanish affair. Spain wanted peace, but did not want world peace if it had l two faces—one for Spain and one for other nations.

The Cortes received a petition signed by 200 deputies “inviting the Cortes to adhere fervently to the vigorous patriotic position of our Caudillo. From the use of the title Caudillo, and also from the fact that the first signature was that of Senor .Tose Luis, SecretaryGeneral of the Falange, the petition is believed to be of Falangist origin, though the Falange has been formally abolished and General Franco is now officially “ Chief of State.”