The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1937. OLD TIES JETTISONED.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13639, 25 August 1937, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1937. OLD TIES JETTISONED.

Portugal, who was England’s first ally, has proved herself in, sympathy with the Spanish Rebels and therefore has leanings toward Germany and Italy. In fact, she can be said to be aligned with the Fascist nations and there are strong reasons to believe that the Spanish revolt was plotted in and during the early months directed from Portugal. Meanwhile Portugal has signed an agreement with Germany that gives the latter- improved trading rights in Portugal’s African colonies. In the words of a Nazi newspaper “Portugal has thrown off her fetters—that 1 s her connection. with Britain. The new independence of Portugal moans that she can open up her colonies for .exploitation by anyone who is an honourable friend of the Portuguese State and reoognises Portugal’s equality of rights which Britain for hundreds of years has failed to do.” Her dictator, Da-. Salazar, however, has denied that there is any rift ill Anglo-Portuguese relations but the feeling has persisted that Germany is gaining influence at Britain’s expense. Portugal is no longer a democracy and she cannot view the issue tietween Fascism and Communism with the equanimity of Britain. Her precipitate action in severing relations with Czechoslovakia will certainly add to the suspicion that her political views are being coloured by Germany and that even closer collaboration may be expected in the future between these two dictatorships.