SPANISH AFRICA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22670, 6 March 1937, Page 15

SPANISH AFRICA

FRANCO'S CHARGE ALLEGED PROPAGANDA NATIONS ASKED TO ACT FRENCH DENY ACTIVITY By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received March 5, 5.5 p.m.) Times Cable LONDON, March 4 The leader of the Spanish insurgents, General Franco, has addressed a Note to the signatories of the Pact of Algeciras, to which Britain ia a party, accusing France of trying to provoke disturbances in Spanish Morocco in order to obtain a pretext for invading it. The Note asks the Towers to appoint an international commission and requests the Non-Intervention Committee to act. The Paris correspondent of the Times states t.'hat official circles in the French capital dismiss the allegations in General Franco's Note as complete fabrications. In spite of Germany's reassurances last month, France is not convinced that the foreign activity in Morocco is above board. Riots in Algeria, in which the French Foreign Legion was stoned, arc ascribed to foreign propaganda. FASCIST POWERS FRANCE ISSUES WARNING GERMAN TANKS FOR • REBELS PARIS, March 4 Messages from London stato that Italy and Germany are creating numerous difficulties in the Non-inter-vention Committee. Some suggest that international control of Spain may not be enforced on Saturday as had been agreed. The organ of the French Prime Minister, M. Blum, Le Populaire, warns the Fascist Powers that if they persist in their obstruction France will bo obliged to regain her freedom of action in Spain. The diplomatic correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says German intervention is being continued. A consignment of 20 tanks was sent to Spain at the end of February. Nevertheless, intervention is causing internal difficulties in Germany, where the conflict between the Nazis and Catholics is being intensified daily. Nazi, newspapers explain their support of General Franco by alleging that the Vatican is supporting the Government. POLICY FOR FRANCO " CASTILIAN OBSTINACY" GUARANTEE TO BASQUES LONDON, Feb. 22 "The Castilian obstinacy of the rebel commander-in-chief. General Franco, is likely to prove a factor in prolonging the trouble in Spain," states a diplomat who has spent two years in Spain and knows both Barcelona and Madrid well. "The alliance between the strongly Catholic Basque Nationalists and the Valencia (formerly Madrid) Government largely dominated by AnarchoSyndicalists, is a most unnatural bond. "The Basques would have been strongly on General Franco's side if he had guaranteed their historic right, as they see it, to 'home rule.' " This diplomat predicts that Portugal will co-operate heartily in non-inter-vention provided that her "face" is saved. The Portuguese Dictator, Dr. Salazar, could not consistently agree to foreign control of the country's nonintervention methods. He began his rule by stoutly rejecting proposals for an international loan to Portugal with League of Nations supervision. Observers in both the Right and Left wings of politics see signs of cracking in the Spanish Government front. The cooler-headed agree that it is going to be a long, hard fight still, however, unless some compromise is reached; and for this, too must bitterness seems to have been engendered. An obvious way out would be some kind of federation in Spain with a large measure of autonomy for Galicia, Biscay, Catalonia, Valencia and possibly Andalusia; but if General Franco is ready to grant autonomy anywhere, the wisest thing would be for him to begin with the Biscay Province. If lite also granted home rule to Galicia, which is almost entirely under his control, it would be a convincing move.