[104-10209-10017.pdf — page 37]
- 9 -S/4512There is continuous propaganda for the sanding of volunteers as workers to Germany. Unwilling contingents of soldiers have left for the Blue Division.## THE DIVISION AZULwas a Falangist manoeuvre to give political importance to some Falangist leaders. The manoeuvre turned out very badly. This Division is the most unpopular innovation of the Falange. Our informant talked with 11 survivors of the division, who had returned from the Russian front on account of their wounds. One of them was 18 when he left as a volunteer, without the consent of his family. He asked if he would return to the front again and he answered categorically "My eyes have been opened. I will rever return". They all speak of the bad food they are given mainly vitamin pills and pots of Jam. They speak of the courage and fighting spirit of the Russian aray, but above all of the contempt with which the Ogrmans treated them. They regarded them as inferior beings and they also said that when they said compliments to the German women, a Spanish custom, they answered them disdainfully as if they despised them. There were cases of self-cutilation in the ranks of the Blue Division. At any rate their panic was obvious, and they refused to return. Everybody speaks ill of the Division Asul.Its commander Minos (rande, is the most despised of scldiers. Countless jokes about this division circulate in Spain. Our informant knows several, but cites the following as an example which came from the Club Benevente Arniches etc. El Gato Negros in Madrid. Minos Grande sent a telegram to the political address of the Blue Division at the front - this was the address: 1.3.. URSS M.G. The telegram arrived and no ons could decipher it, but finally a soldier said - This is quite clear", and read the following words "We were all deceived. Serrano Suner is the only one responsible. Many thanks". (Tuimos enganados todos. Unico responsable S.Suner. Eachas gracias").## ON THE DANGER OF WAR FOR SPAIN AT HITLER'S SIDEHis izpression is that Spain will continue to assist Hitler as she is doing now but that she will not enter the war. Some of the Generals are in disagreement with the present policy - among them Varela, Aranda, Yagus, Queipo etc. Among the soldiers the feeling against the Fascist Regime is very marked. They complain of bad food, treatment, clothes.... too much time spent on marches etc. Queipo, on his returní ron Italy was rude to Serrano Suner and struck him for which he was sant back to Italy. General Aranda spent a month at Gijon and talked to our informant. They had an interview. Our informant has a real addration for Aranda, who, he says, is a gentleman. He says that Aranda appeared to be Igftist. Among his remarks he remembers the following words. We Spaniards are robbers. We are, and we have been for some time. If you walk through the Castellana of Madrid you will see the susptuous palaces owned by Wexler (7) and Pramo de Rivera, etc. built wi with the blood of the Cuban people and the poor Spaniards who went to defend the Spanish colonies. The colords were lost but the military leaders, whose duty it was to defend them, enriched themselves. How it is the same thing over again. We made a revolution in order to bring progress to Spain but we have spilt blood in torrents uselessly. The result was not worth the expense of so much blood and so much repression".Da his conversation, although he said nothing against the Germans, he showed contempt for the Falangists who are enriching themselves; he showed particular fear of the treatment meted out to the soldiers in barracks. His impression is that it was a result of the seriousness of the situation through which the Franquist regime was passing and fear of what the outcome might be. He said nothing about the state of the war, and whether he was a partisan of England. In the conversation he had with the General It is possible that there was another aspect, which through discretion he did not repeat.## HUNGER SITUATIONThe situation has become noticeably worse during the last months. For several months already the rationing has been practically ml. The rich buy everything on the Black Market. Our informant, with his wife and five children spent from 9.600 to 10.000 a month on food alone. He says that during the year his expenditure on food - he does not drink nor smoke wa 120,000 pesetas. Of course he had a special clothes budget - 600 pesetas for a suit and 180 to 200 for a pair of shoes. When asked how the workers live who earr 10 to 15 pts. salary or perhaps less, he says very badly. They do not eat, and adds that besides they cannot earn more. I, the workers and the people in general had a greater purchasing power, life wuld be impossible in Spain as they