[104-10209-10017.pdf — page 46]
# 3/4612and assassinate. Three months ago at the Puerto de Somiedo, they machine- gunned a bus wita traveliers in it and the Civil Quard retreated. They are assisted by the discontented peasants and their families. If they came to Franco, with their hands free of blood, he would pardon them".TERROR - At the beginnig they shot many people, especially to pay off personal scoгев. Now it is done through the tribunals. It is a fact that shooting continues, but only for those ondemed to death.FUTURE PROSPECTS - Perhaps the end of the war will solve all these problems, The Governments of Spain will impuse peace, law and order as soon as the war is over.RESTORATION OF THE NARCHY - All a lie; all respectable people supnert Franco and the disagreements there are between the parties do not constitute a problem.DI SAGREEMENTS IN THE ARMY - He says there are none. Queipo was sent out side Spain diplomatically, as a drunkard and a rescal, as all the army is with Franco and Hitler, wiro have saved Spain and Europe from Communism.PECONSTRUCTION - He says there is a lot being done in the way of reconstruction. In Of jon they have built hundreds of new houses and the town is very much changed. The people who have money are afraid it will lose its value, daily, and either build or use the money for business.4.3.42.REPORT No.357JOSE PAGOS, a peasant, resident in Cuba for 11 years, returned to Spain in 1940. At that time he was a Franquist. He is very backward and extremely suspicious. At first he refused to speak, especially when he was told that he must talk to a journalist. He knows very little, since he lived in a small village in the district of Estrado and only left it to embard. He often says that he knows nothing, and can only give information about his village that is not political. Is a Loderate anti-falangist, and continues to defend Franco, of whom he has a high opinion, in many instances. The first thing he asserts is that in Spain there is not so much hunger as they say here. There is a scarcity caused by the war but it is just the same as it is everywhere, those with money eat and those without go hungry. It is not true that they requisition the peasan ta crops, at least in the part of Spain he knows. He says that everyone says in Spain that they control the crops, and even if they force them to soll at the standard rate they leave the peasants enough to eat. It is obvious that everyone makes fun of the order and hides the produce "but it is not that thay requisition them, but that the Government controls produce and they have to sell it at fixed rates." He says that he has a brother in the army and the soldiers are very well fed. The food is well prepared but rather scarce. In Estrada they get the kxand two regulation loaves just as before the war, but in Coruna bread is scarcer in the barracks. What everybody wants is for the war to end, anyhow, what is wanted is peace and tranquillity. When asked about the second front he says everyone is hoping for the English to come and give orders in his house but when the people are so anxious they want some- thing to happen to change the situation and see if it improves". On further questioning he confesses that 90% of the population are against Franco- not on his own account but on account of the hinger and misery there is..There is no repression. People are only executed legally, through the tribunals..He says that no one wishes Spain to enter the war, and Franco, if he could, wot would have bean on the other side already, but as he has the Germans on the frontier he cannot do it. The rich and the sanarchists are discontented, and there are many people who were deceived and do nit like the present regime.Asked whether the people support the Germans of the Allies, he says - some on each side. A little later he says everybody hates the Germans and is afraid of their encroachments except the Balangists.* arrive, which is natural. He says he does not want the English to