FRANCO REVOKED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21963, 6 March 1946, Page 5

FRANCO REVOKED

PLEDGE TO HITLER

FIGHT AGAINST ALLIES PLANNED BLOW AT “ROCK” (10 a.m.) LONDON. March 5. General Franco promised Hitler that Spain would enter the war against the Allies, but he backed down after protracted negotiations about supplies and assistance. These facts are made clear in a batch of letters between General Franco and Hitler which the United States Army discovered in Germany and sent to the State Department, which has now passed them on to the French Government, says Reuter’s correspondent in Paris. Franco promised to enter the war on two conditions: First, he wanted Gibraltar, French Morocco and part of Algeria and, secondly, he required economic and military assistance. Feared “Own Annihilation”

The letters showed that Franco for a considerable period had been preparing plans for an assault on Gibraltar which, he told Hitler, could be finished off in a matter of days. The second condition caused long bickering, after which Franco withdrew on the grounds that he feared “rny own annihilation in the event of victory by the AngloSaxons.” A memorandum by the German Ambassador in Madrid, Dr. Eberhard von Stohrer, recalled Spain’s promise made on August 8. 1940, to enter the war. A letter from Franco to Mussolini discussed the bright prospects resulting from Franco’s defeat. One of Franco’s

letters, w ri 11 e n personally to Hitler, described the preparations for an attack on Gibraltar and gave details of the plans to destroy strongpoints with artillery. Franco conveyed to Hitler an “assurance of my unchangeable and sincere adherence to you personally and to the German people and to the cause for which you fight.” "Gladly Fight at Germany’s Side” Franco met Hitler at Hendayne on October 23, 1940, and told Hitler: “Spain will gladly fight at Germany’s side.” A German Foreign Office memorandum included documents providing evidence that Spain aided the German Üboat warfare. The memorandum quotes a naval command order for the dispatch of tankers to fuel German destroyers “in out-of-the-way bays on the Spanish coast.” The memorandum adds that the naval command in this connection had already pointed out the fact that the Spanish Government had shown similar willingness to oblige in supplying U-boats.