Feb. 28.
With General Franco preparing for his Jdrive against the Republican positions in feentral Spain, the withdrawal -of General /Miaja, aged but gallant defender of Madrid, into the background, and the preparation of some of the Government leaders to take fight there is every reason to believe that the Spanish civil arar is very nearly at an fend. The decisions of various nations to recognize the Franco regime de jure, includ~ jing Frayee and Great Britain, of which the latter's decision may have been made public the time these lines are in print, may regarded not only as recognition of the exist, Ing stale of affairs, but also in the light mercifully assisting in putting an end to struggle which the world has watched with Jdismay for nearly three years. It was ttle thought, when the Nationalists commenced what it was hoped would be a quickly suecessful coup d'etat in 1936, that Spain would be drenched in a torrent of blood, and made the scene of fearful atrocities. But the resistance offered by the Republican Government to General Franco was such that in a very short while It became apparent that the subjugation of Spain by the Nationalist rebels would be at the very least a question of time, and that it would be impossible unless they were given that outside assist ance of which the world knows only too well. What might have been restricted to a domestic concern of the Spanish, became by reason of the assistance given to both sides, by Germany and Italy on the one hand and Soviet Russia on the other, a war of diver= gent ideologies in which the Spaniards were Feduiced to the position of mere pawns in the greater struggle which followed the failure of the originally planned speedy re~ volution, Spaniards commenced to slaughter teach other and be slaughtered by alien interveners, not so much then because General Franco wanted control of Spain but because foreign governments desired the vindication fof the principles upon which they had been founded.
The reduction of the Catalan provinces, the flight of the Republican President into France, the division amongst the Govern ment leaders themselves as to the course which should next be followed, has brought about a degree of disunion rendering it impossible that the Republican forees should fever regain their morale, or be able to fight fon with any prospect of ultimately gaining the vielory, From the moment the Republican cause became a forlorn hope, it was obviously the duty of everyone interested in the humanities to do everything possible to put 4 period to a struggle which has been waged all too long as it is. It is perfectly under= standable why certain sections in Great Britain, and also in France, for that matter, should' view the recognition of the Franco regime with "shame and abhorrence." They see in such recognition the final defeat of everything in Spain for which they stand in their own countries. But nothing could possibly be more shameful and more abhorrent than to seek to encourage the Spanish Re~ publicans to continue a war which they have already lost, and vhich cannot be continued wilh further additions (o the appalling totals fof mortality and misery which have already been reached. That is obviously what those [who supported the views of Mr. C. R, Attlee Sunday's meeting in Trafalgar Square were doing. They were seeking to encourage the Spanish Republicans to continue a fight which is already lost and to plunge. their country even further into the bath of blood jin which it has been forced to wallow for nearly three years. Wisdom and mercy demand that this thing shall not be, and if recognizing the Franco regime, Great Britain and. France can impress upon the Republicans the utter futility of further resistance, who can possibly deny that the best Interests of humanity are thereby served? British Labour is refusing to recognize very [patent realities when it encourages Republican Spain to continue tilting with a windmill [which has all the ability to tilt back with [much more deadly effect.
One of the factors which it is stated has led the Entente to recognize General Franco the giving by the latter of assurances con-[cerning the principles which will guide the head of the Nationalist Goxernment in administering justice in the remaining Repubican areas when they pass under its control. Those assurances are very broadly stated, but opinion in London accepts them fas evidence that general reprisals against political leaders on the Republican side will be avoided. "Tt would have been much more satisfactory it it had been possible to obtain [from Geuieral Franco the greatly desired Jgeneral amnesty, One of the most unsatisfactory features of the present situation Is that this could not be obtained, and there is (Continued on, page 359)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.