Spain's Position in to Join in Hitler's seems temporarily. to lackened, though the report that Senor Serrano Suner' may once again make a tour to Rome and Berlin shows that the Axis has by no means abandoned hope that General Franco may. be persuaded to an active part against Britain. What may well be a determi Ing factor in influencing General Franco is th United—States"
President velt's outspoken rations which a doubt in Gener reaction in America would be should he be taken in by Rome's blandishments. And Spain afford to alienate American friendship at this time. General Franco has also many and complicated internal difficulties 10 cope with. The long'eivil war hay lett Spain ina sorry condition, and there is an enormous amount of Feconstruetion which must be done, but: which, Unfortunately for the people, is being sadly hampered by disuaities which still exist among. The Republicans. have been suppressed, but they still exist, a potential source of trouble the moment. they ' become rong enough. And in the government party iiselt there are severe divisions of opinion. The parties which united under General Franco for the civil war were bound together by the ce mon tle of fear and hatred of Bolshevism. Whos they, with the help of Berlin and Rome. were victorious, this common tle was broken. On the tone hand there are the followers of the old Fégime, the Royalists, the supporters of the aristocracy and the Church; on the other there are the Phalangists, who ape Fascist principles, And wish for a Fascist form of government, They hate the Church and describe itas a leech upon the body politic. The last thing they want Is a reversion to the old forms of government. They are the most vocal and active of political. parties, but it may be doubted when ther their influence alone is sume lent to overcome the strong though passive influence the supporters of the old order. So long as General Franco can hold the balance between these divergent groups among his supporters, so long will he be able to keep out of the wat, But there is a danger that the Axis Powers may be able to tip. the. seales against the neutral policy, and even encourage some. form of coup "tat by the Phalongists, 1t this should occur it is almost certain that Spain would come into. the confliel. Should this "happen, [Ssain could be of considerable nuisance value, [since it would mean the opening of many more Allantic ports "to. the Axis submarines, and possibly an attack on. Gibraltar, Miliirily, however, it is believed that Spain might prove only a hindrance to Hitler. The country. is either politically nor economically in condition, or war, and. internal strife might easily follow any declaration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.