Evening star., 1936-08-16
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

u Spanish battlefront, and still
longer accounts about the quantities
Of arms and ammunition and the
number of airplanes France is sending
to the Spanish Communist-Anarchist
government in Madrid. But there is
nothing in the government-controlled
press about the Italian airplanes
which have landed in Spanish Moroc-
co, nor about the planes which have
fallen into the hands of the French
authorities in French Morocco.
A pertinent question regarding these
planes brought from the foreign office
the answer:
THE Italian government has no di-
rect news about the incident, but is in
yestigating the matter"
And, as If to leave no doubt about
italian official intention, it added:
Italy is not following a policy OF
adventure. The italian government
Is fully aware of the tension which ex-
lists today in Europe, and will do
nothing to aggravate it. Consequently
the accusation brought against this
country that it intends to interfere in
the unfortunate affairs of Spain Is
without foundation"
But in the cafes and various govern
ment Offices men discuss in hushed
voices the possibilities of an interna-
tional complication in which Italy will
have to take a part.
The truth is that the italian gov
ernment is intensely interested in the
Spanish civil war-and not from a
platonic point of view, either.
European Governments Fearful.
An Italian high official discussing the
matter with the writer volunteered to
say, THE time will soon come when
the Western powers will have to take
o hand in the Spanish mess. Italian
and German citizens have been muir
dered by the Communists in Barcelo-
ma; British, American, German and
italian investments are threatened II
the Madril and the Barcelona Anar-
hist-Communist organizations are al
lowed to defeat the revolutionaries.
And what is more important than the
material side of the question, the
Spanish revolution means the first
open attempt to establish Bolshevist
cell in Western Europe. This is di-
rect menace to the existing govern
ments in Western Europe. I would
like to see an agreement between the
five responsible powers of the world
Great Britain, the United States,
France, Italy and Germany-to put
an end to that menace"
There have been all kinds of ru-
mors about Italy's readiness to inter-
vene in Spain. Many are without foun-
dation. But the following facts are
scrupulously accurate: On June 81
the cruiser Pisa left Spezia on a Sc
cret mission to Melilla. On June
27 she landed something like 800
cases believed to contain arms and
ammunition for Gen. Franco. Italian
planes have been sent to Spanish
Morocco. One crashed and the Off
GERS found dead were identified as
officers of the Royal Italian Air Force.
Other airplanes, about 16 in number,
have been more fortunate and have
succeeded in landing near Melilla.
have been sent to Morocco and have
reached Gen. Franco.
The italian government neither
confirms nor denies these facts; it
awaits further developments to de-
termine the most expedient course.
Rome has positive advices that the
Madrid revolutionaries have received
&c 1f l.
ton, gasoline and airplaneS from
France. The Italians admit the French
government is not guilty of having
sent army planes with military pilots,
but they know 1t has conveniently
shut its eyes when truckloads and
boatloads of war material were going
over to Spain.
Mussolini in Key Position.
For the time being it is impossible
to say whether Italy will take drastic
action to make capital out of the
Spanish situation. The entire policy
Is in the hands Of one man alone
Mussolini-who is responsible only to
his own conscience. And in order to
meet any possible emergency the Ital-
ian officials have adopted a peace
at any price" attitude, while the press
is preparing whatever public opinion
there may be for the alternative con-
tingency-war.
Those who have been able to keep
up with II Duce's political philosophy
during the last two years admit that
he is not likely to seek an adventure
unless he sees some immediate profit
for his country. 1t is because he
realizes that the reconstruction of the
central bloc-Germany and Italy-can
profit the Italian state in the future
that he consents to throw his lot def
nitely with the Reich and has agreed
to accept the occasional role Of second
fiddle to the Reichsfuehrer.
The inside history of Mussolini's
keen interest in the success of the
Spanish military junta can be traced
back to the time last May when a
special emissary Of Gen. Franco visited
Rome.
Franco Is an ambitious man; he
realized before he attempted the coup
d'etat that, even If fully successful,
he would need the support of another
dictator in order to retain control of
the Spanish government.
Gibraltar Control Disliked.
Like most Spanish soldiers, Franco
d not satisfied to have Gibraltar oc-
cupied by the British. But 50 far
there has been no possibility of dis
lodging John Bull from that part
of Spain. Franco had ideas. He
suggested that in the event of
successful coup d'etat, 1t might be
possible to ask the British to return
"the Rock" to its rightful owners.
Whether Mussolini took frances
envoy seriously or not Is unknown:
1t is more than likely that he thought
Frances ideas were day dreams. But
what interested II Duce greatly was
the reported suggestion that in ex-
change for an. adequate support from
the ITALIAN UOyprurnpnt the SDqniSh