Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-18
SITUATION TANGLED
IN MEDITERRANEAN
Britain, France and Italy,
Seeking Control, to Bid for
SPANS Favor.
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

1Sh revolution, Whatever us Iuture
DEVELOPMENT, is bound to have an i'm
portant effect on the Mediterranean
situation, in the opinion Of European
statesmen.
The Mediterranean situation. as
everyone in Europe knows, Is one OF
the major factors Of international poll
tics. Great Britain at the present time
dominates this inland sea, which 1t
considers vital to the lines of comn1u-
nications of the British Empire.
France aspires to dominate the West
ern Mediterranean because of its North
African empire, communication with
which 1t considers vital.
italy also aspires to dominate the
Mediterranean, especially the eastern
part, but If possible also the western,
because it has no other exit by sea to
the rest of the world and therefore
considers the question vital.
Besides Great Britain, France ana
italy. which are the major Mediter-
ranean powers, there are several sec
ondary powers, notably Turkey, Greece,
the Soviet Union with its Black Sea
feet, Jugoslavia and especially Spain.
During the World War Spain re-
NAMED neutral, but gave shelter 20
German submarines and allowed the
Moroccan leader, FL Malek, to make
incursions into French Morocco from
the Spanish zone. Under the Primo
de Rivera dictatorship Spain made
secret treaty with Italy whose extent
is still unknown. SPANS new Republic
can government however, appears to De
anti-Fascist and pro-French, at least in
its present early stages.
If Spain, deserving her previous poll
% NV ne
should become an ally of France and
an adversary of italy, or should through
liberalism or weakness lose the Spanish
zone in Morocco or should revive the
Gibraltar issue and lose the friendship
of Great Britain, the effect on British,
French and Italian rivalries in the
Mediterranean, would, 1t Is thought, De
immediate and far reaching, for Spain,
although q second-rate power, would
be Invaluable as an ally because Of its
geographical situation to any one OF
these three great Mediterranean rivals.
All three nations may, therefore, be
expected to do their best to gain the
good graces of the republican govern
ment. without, however, going SO far
for the present that In case of a mon
archial restoration they would auto
matically be debarred from the good
graces of the monarchy.
Great Britair's interest IL clear. For
more than century it has been pains
takingly building up its naval control
over this shortest sea route to India
and the Orient. It holds Gibraltar at
the western gateway, Suez at the east
ern and its strongest SQuadrons today
trolling the marrow passage which con-
meets the eastern and western Medi-
terranean between Sicily and Tunieia.
Both gateways are strongly buttressed.
At the western gateway, Portugal, on
the Atlantic side, has been Great Brit
aims ally for q century. Tangiers, on
the African side opposite Gibraltar, has
been neutralized and this whole Moroc-
can coast kept from France and given
to Spain mainly under the pressure of
British policy with the Introduction TO-
1ortify. AS for Suez the eastern gate
way. 1t is buttressed ON one side by
Egypt and on the other by Palestine.
Moreover, under its old and well tried
policy Of the balance Of power, Great
Britain traditionally supports the weaker
against the stronger power and in the
present circumstances it tends, there
fore, to support italy against France,
for II France and Italy should again
become allies their combined fleets in
the Mediterranean would be stronger
than Great Britain's.
ItaIy's Expansion Desires Blocked.
Italys interest is equally clear. AS
Great Britain controls both gateways
and dominates the Mediterranean.
wherein Italy Is wholly inclosed, friend
ship with Great Britain Is essential to
Italy. Italy's desires to expand, whether
in the Balkans or North Africa, are
blocked by the fact that France or its
allies are already in possession, and
therefore Italy regards France as her
rival
France, by its naval bases at Toulon,
on the French coast, and at Bizerte, on
the coast OF Tunisia opposite Sicily,
tends to dominate the Western Medi-
terranean, to which Italy's coast Is ex-
posed. Opposite Italyis eastern coast
lies Frances ally and Italy's adversary
in the Balkans, Jugoslavia. with a
small fleet of French-huilt submarines
and deep, safe harbors.
Italy. however by its alliance with
Albania, has potential base at Valona
and can virtually close the Adriatic TO
could also threaten to cut the French
communications with North Africa
1talyS claim to naval parity with
France is widely considered in reality
merely move TO give Italy superiority
over France In the Mediterranean, for
the Italian feet would be concentrated
there while France is Obliged also to
protect the Atlantic and North Sea
coasts and its wide-hung colonial en-
pire.
AS for France, having already a vast,
growing empire in North Africa, it now
desires merely TO safeguard what 1t has,
particularly the communications with
North Africa, under all conditions. With
Italy potentially hostile and British
policy not particularly favorable, the at
titude Of Spain becomes to France q
matter of vast import
France Would Like Alliance.
No doubt France would like an alli-
ance IL 1t could get tan alliance
which In case of war would enable
French communications to cross the
Spanish Peninsula or follow the Span.
1sh Coast. Failing this, France would
like to enjoy SPANS benevolent neu-
trality On the other hand, an entente
between Spain and Italy, as under the
dictatorship Of Gen. de Rivera, is re-
garded by France as a positive danger.
In larger way, France favors. and
proposed formally more than year ago.
a Mediterranean pact in which all the
Mediterranean powers would agree to
stand together to preserve the status
quo. This French proposal, however.
has met with no support from Great
Britain and Italy.
The question Of SPANS new attitude
might arise, 1t Is thought. in various
ways If Catalonia continues to be a
really independent republic. there is
the possibility that 1t might to some
extent fall under French influence, for
the people Of Catalonia are not greatly
different from the people Of Southern
France and they speak a similar Latin
dialect The rest of Spain might then
either become suspicious OF France and
tend toward Italy. or. under Catalonlan
influence, might also be drawn toward
France.