FRANCO'S SPAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23150, 23 September 1938, Page 15

FRANCO'S SPAIN

AUCKLANDER'S JOURNEY NATIONALIST CONTROL DISLIKE OF ITALIANS First-hand impressions of life in Spain and of aspects of the civil war are given by Mr. James R. Cropper, of Auckland, in a letter to his family. On board a British cruiser, Mr. Cropper and a companion travelled from England to Gibraltar, and from there thev made their way in stages through Spain, traversing the country from south to north, and finally passing from Irun to Biarritz, in France. They returned to London late in August. "We met a great many interesting people in the two days we stayed in Seville and formed the very solid impression that Franco's rising was absolutely necessary," the letter states. "Before it, apparently life had been very nearly intolerable to decent citizens, and no woman could go out afc night alone. Thorough Organisation "Now in Franco's territory there is absolute law and order, and in Burgos we met two Englishwomen who always walk home alone after their work, at any hour after midnight," Mr. Cropper adds. He says that on the way from Seville to Burgos, by way of Salamanca, he was particularly interested to note the thorough organisation apparent both in transport and commerce. All the land seen was thoroughly cultivated and harvested in a perfectly normal manner.

"Wherever we went in Spain, we couldn't step without treading on Italians, and they are cordially hated by the Spaniards," the letter continues. "This is an undeniable fact, and if Mussolini hopes to get any' territorial advantages from the war he will get them only by war against Spain. Foreigners in Country "The Germans keep very much to themselves, and are 100 per cent technicians. We were told that they go out there in two-month spells and are then replaced by fresh batches, simply, I imagine, to got first-hand experience. I heard before wo left England that the Spaniards would never forgive Franco for bringing tho Moors in, but tho truth is that tho Spaniards far prefer the Moors to the Italians. The only reason that tho Beds do not like the" Moors is because they are such goocj, fighters." Continuing their journey through Spain, Mr. Cropper and his companion left Burgos for Irun on a crowded troop-train, being obliged to t travel standing at one end of a sleeping-car, having persuaded the guard to allow this privilege. Military formalities followed at Irun, "a mere shell of a city, fired by the Reds in their retreat," and while waiting for their permission to leave Spain they saw several women in tho queue refused the necessary pass. Leaving Spain, Mr. Cropper crossed the famous international bridge, by which thousands of Frenchmen travelled into Spain in the first weeks of tho war, into Hendaye, and then continued to enjoy a brief holiday at Biarritz.