THE SPANISH QUESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 6

THE SPANISH QUESTION

TO THE EDITOR

Sir—Would it be possible for the Press Association to have one truthful, honest reporter, in Europe who would forward the whole truth concerning such affairs as the Spanish war? r wonder if it is true that this rebellion has been engineered, financed, etc., by an international finance ring, including those in London whose interests are in armaments and who have so successfully tried to keep the British Navy out. AH we do know so far is that British financiers have long complained that they had not benefited from German or Italian rearmament, but when Sweden's iron deposits were 'recently closed to Germany ,and likewise France shut down on Lorraine, to Germany. British shareholders in Spanish mines, iron, mercury, tin—in fact, al 1 metals—rejoiced. Is it not true that the great house of Rothschild financed the company whose directors include two of the most powerful munition kings in Germany, as well as onr of the most influential Italian counts, who is behind the Italian push? Is it not true that the collaboration of German and Italian interests made France's revolt nossible? They supplied the capital, the rifles, the aeroplanes and even the men to carry out this brutal assault. Like every other massacre, it has been cloaked as a "holy" war. Someone has been persecuting these peasants, who are now in rebellion, and the present Government of Spain is so we are told, run by Russia. How such lies can be told and believed is remarkable, but more remarkable still is the prolonged subjection of the truth Who can believe these horrible stories about attacks on monasteries, on nuns, etc. by the loyalists' party in Spain when it is known that the greater part of the 'loyalist troops consists of devout Catholics? The attacking forces are the rebels, who comprise very few Spaniards, but many troops from Morocco, many Germans and many Italians, all equipped with rifles from Krupps's works. What for?

Spain one of the most undeveloped yet one of the richest mineral countries in Europe, mus* supply Hitler and Mussolini with the sinews of war. Just imagine all the mercury in the world confined to Nazi-controlled mines in Spain and Ftalian-controlled mines in Jugoslavia' Mercury, as the basis of all detonators mines and depth charges is most essential to a warseeking dictator Mercury lead, tungsten—in fact, every metal—are in Spain. The fiercest fiqhting has been waged around these mines and the only hope of the world is the jealousy between Germans and Italians in the dividing of the spoils of the Spanish war. British finance is behind the rebels. British finance is behind the British press, and British finance is behind the rearmament of the world. Can the world save itself? Will the common sense of British peoples rise aeainst the force tha' created the World War and is movine fast to repeat a wonderful money-makinp scheme to the monetarv heirarchies of Europe? -I am. etc., A Recent Convert to Socialism.