There are two very significant facts in connection with the relict of Santander, the city in Spain which has suffered so severely as a result of hurricane, and fire. One is that Great Britain has afforded assistance by diverting two steamers carrying wheat and corn, originally destined for Great Britain, to the distressed city, and the other is that the Germans have come forward with an offer of the services of some five hundred technicians, and soldiers to help in restoring the stricken city. The fact that Great Briz tain has been able to give two shiploads of foodstuffs to Santander at such a time as this speaks volumes on the subject of the {food situation in Britain, and the eMciency of the German blockade, Obviously, if Britain is able to divert food in such a manner she is not in such, a parlous condition'as the German propagandists would have the world believe. That the gesture has been made in connection with Britain's adopted policy of helping Spain to recover from the damage done during the civil war may be taken for granted, but the fact that she can afford to hand over such a substantial amount of food clearly indicates a favourable domestic position which alone could make such a move There appears to be some doubt as to whether Spain will ultimately accept. the German offer of assistance, It was reported that Senor Suner, Spanish Foreign Minister, had accepted, though later it was suggested that premature disclosure of the German offer had produced such a reaction abroad that at the last hour the offer may. still be declined. If ever the Spanish Government should member the saying Quiquid id est time Dangos et dona ferences it surely is now, for if the Germans abandon for a moment their traditional brutality for the purpose of appearing to the Spaniards as angels of merey they are not adopting that unusual role for no ulterior motive. The fate of Rumania has to be borne in mind. There Hitler got his forces into the country on the pretence of protecting the oilfields and training the Rumanian army. That country is no more than a vassal state to the Reich, Bul= aria is likewise being penetrated by fraud [and will undoubtedly be shortly reduced to the same unenviable position, and the mis~ fortune which has befallen Santander. give Hitler a chance under the guise of performing an errand of mercy,—and nothing could be more hypocritical than that,—which will enable him to further his project for de~ priving Spain of her freedom, There may not be much o the suggestion that Germany would like {0 make use of the port of Santander as a base from which to attack Gibraltar, for Hitler has not the fleet with which to challenge Britain's control of the Mediterranean. Rather is it to believed that, if he possibly can, he will endeavour to persuade the Spanish Government to give passage overland {o his troops. Should General Franco accede to any such request Great Britain would undoubtedly re~ gard it as a hostile act, and withdrawing the assistance which she is already affording the Spanish, include them in the general block-fade of the enemy. The effect of that upon Spain would indeed be tragic, and increase the sufferings of a country which even now is suffering greatly. That is a matter which concerns Hitler not one whit. The miseries of Spain mean nothing to him so long as his own designs can be furthered, and they clearly envisage an attack against Great Bri~ tain in the Mediterranean which would be productive of no results unless he were able to strike successfully at both ends of that sea. Spain is an attractive temptation to Hitler. Brought under his control and com~ pletely deprived of its freedom, he would, provided he was able to capture the Rock, be in a position to control the Mediterranean to the complete exclusion of everyone else, including his accomplice Mussolini. The opportunity provided by the misfortune which has befallen Santander is just one which could be expected to seize upon eagerly, and the man whose forces have machine-gunned feeing civilians, bombed the unfortunate Polish non-combatants, slaughtered thousands in his wanton bombing of the heart of Rotterdam, now pretends that his heart bleeds for" the people of Santander, and that he is willing to extend his bloodstained hands for the purpose of succouring them. The man is animated with no ideals of merey. It is entirely foreign to his whole mental makeup, and, if the Spanish Government does let him. Ingo the country, they will never get out,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.