REBEL LEADER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 14 September 1936, Page 9

REBEL LEADER

BORN UNDER LUCKY STAR

(By Air Mail—From Our Own Correspondent)

LONDON, 6fch August. General Franco, whose name has come into sudden European prominence as leader of the Spanish anti-Communist re - hellion, is a handsome Spaniard in the prime of life He has seen a great deal of active service, notably in Morocco, and readied the rank of general at the unusually early age of 32. Hitherto he seems to have been born under a lucky star, because he has never been even wounded, though he hag led his men often enough in close fighting against the Riff He was one of the cavalcade of distinguished foreigners, dismounted on this occasion, who marched through. London streets in the funeral corteue of the. late King George. When the Left Wing got the upper hand in Madrid General Fran jo. whose Royalist and Fascist sympathies made him suspect, was practically banished to an oversea command by his Government. He has no doubt been much hampered in the immediate crisis by his absence from ihe scene of crucial hostilities. Like most other eminent Spanish soldiers, he has been condtmm-d before now by one side or the other for political activities,