REASONS FOR CONFLICT

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 57, 9 March 1937, Page 4

REASONS FOR CONFLICT

CLA3H ON SPANISH SOIL - ASCJISM and COMMUZnr--; I CONCLUSION BY .VISITO"The clash in Spain is definitely a trial of strength between Fascism and Communism despite suggestions that it is merely a civil conflict between two bitterly opposed Spanish elements." In these terms Mr. H. G. Brown, chief electrical engineer to the Fiji Government and a former Central Taranaki resident, summarised the conclusions he had reached after a recent visit to Gibraltar, Tangier, and Barcelona (says the Taranaki Daily News). Mr. Brown, who will shortly return to Fiji after several months-' leave of absence, also visited Germany and Italy jti the.course of a European tour and formed his own impressions of the Nazi and Fascist regimes. Although he left the vicinity of Spain before the insurgents besieged Madrid, Mr. Brown saw enough of the conflict to give his opinions with conviction. At Gibraltar he saw barbed wire entranglements a reminder of Britain's preparedness with Spanish settlements close by, at Tangier he saw 15 men of war of different nationalities and he was an interested spectator when a British cruiser warned Spanish Government and rebel warships out of territorial waters. With the bombardment of Barcelona still a threat of the future, he witnessed the evacuation from the city by British warships of thousands of refugees for transport to Marseilles. DEMAND FOR AEROPLANES "Hundreds of mufti-clad Germans were entering Spain from the Mediterranean," added Mr. Brown, "their uniforms and ammunition being imported by other means. Second-hand aeroplanes were in big demand and in England I found big prices could be obtained for machines that were little more than an engine and a couple of wings. The authorities did what they could to prevent the export of aeroplanes and I saw three machines detained at Croydon airport. Nevertheless several aeroplanes were stolen from hangars to be flown away secretly and in other cases the authorities were outwitted. I was told of instances where machines were taken up from certain grounds for short . flights and then, within a day or two. ascended again, not to be heard of again." Mr. Brown met at London a Spaniard of Santa Cruz, California. As soon as the war broke out he took ship to Spain to And his relatives. He could discover no trace of them and found himself caught like a rat in a trap. With his sole desire to escape from the turmoil he had to align himself first with one side and then with the other to avoid death. Hiding during j the day and walking by night, he eventually found himself out of the danger zone and reached England as a j seaman on a British steamer. "He was going back to America when I took leave of him." said Mr. Brown. "He said he was going to be a Spaniard no longer." Although he did not come into contact in any of the serious fighting, Mr. Brown saw enough of Spain to know that the populace generally was satisfied with the Socialist Government. The working class was contented and reasonably happy, and few Spaniards that he met desired anything more than to live peacefully. No one could tell him definitely as to how the war had been caused, but everywhere he found evidence that It had been precipitated from outside Spain. "NOT INTERNAL STRIFE.” "The rank and file of the Spanish people resented the fact that Franco’s men were mostly Moors, Germans and Italians,” commented Mr. Brown. "There were some instances where members of one family were fighting on opposite sides, but there are thousands of Spaniards who would ask nothing better than to be out of their country. I am convinced that this is no internal strife, but a deliberately engineered clash between Fascism and Communism.” Pleasant memories of German courtesy to tourists are retained by Mr. Brown. "The Germans will go out of their way to assist the visitor to their country to see the sights,” he said. "Guides are supplied and no effort is spared to see that the foreigner is treated with courtesy.” Whether this was a polite way of ensuring that the tourist did npt see things it was felt he should not, Mr. Brown could not say. There did seem, however, to be an undercurrent of fear pervading all life in Nazi Germany. The gained was that it was impossible for a number of people to stand on a street corner without being suspected of conspiring to bring about revolution. The visitor saw little terrorism, but it was obvious that tb9 Nazi policy was influenced by fear and that the Germans generally lived in a state of fear of each other. -The Italian attitude to the foreigner was now much more friendly than it was, said Mr. Brown, although one still had the sensation of being watched and constantly hindered. "No notice is taken of the tourist who arrives by mail boat and j goes away with it,” concluded Mr. Brown, "but if the boat goes away j and leaves one behind the authorities seem to be immediately ou the alert. One imagines that a continual watch is being kept by authorities, who are asking themselves *What is he here for?’ ” HAND EMOLLIENT mirpil strongly RECOMMENDED. Miss E. Cooke, King Street, Hikurangi, writes: “I have used Mirpil Skin Balm as a hand emollient and found it most satisfactory and can recommend its use to others desiring a useful lotion." Mirpil is also excellent for Sunburn Wind burn, after Shaving, Chilblains und Sore Tired Feet,