The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-10-09
SPANISH FASCIST PROGRAM


what the Spanish Fascist will do if
they win against the regularly consti-
tuted Government of that country.
Disclosures from two different sour
ces would seem to shed considerable
light on that question:
The first is based on a. program
agreed upon by the conspirators at
secret meeting held in Barcelona,
May 18, 1896, and afterward found
on the person of the rebel Captain
Luis Lopez Varela, who was taken
prisoner by soldiers of the Spanish
Government. The program was for
mulated by rebel generals who called
themselves the National Military
Committee for National Defense"
A list of seventy-one names of Of
ficers, active and retired, who prom
ised to act when the rising was de-
termined upon was also found on the
person of Captain Varela, together
with technical instructions to be fol-
lowed upon reaching Madrid.
Another program equally author
alive is said to emanate from Fascist
headquarters at Burgos, Spain. 1t is
more recent and contains less detail,
the high points of which may be
stated briefly as follows:
The establishment of a military
dictatorship.
The determination" of all loyal
list elements.
The rule of Spain indefinitely
without any parliament whatso-
ever"
Restoration of property seized from
the Church and the grandees (the
Church owned nearly so per cent of
the entire land of Spain, and most of
the remainder was owned by the
wealthy grandees).
What would be the result of the
success of Fasciam and the over
throw of the present constitutional
government?
Spain is in an important strategic
position in the Mediterranean, second
only to that of Italy. For century
it has entered little into major Eu-
ropean politics. But the friendly
nations" indicated are Italy and Ger
many, which openly or rlandestinely
have been supporting the rebels.
Establishment of military autocra-
cy in Spain will completely surround
France with a circle of allied dicta
torships bristling with steel. 1t will
give Mussolini concessions in the
western Mediterranean for which he
Dis willing to pay any price. 1t will
also make Germany for the first time
a Mediterranean power, through her
alliance with Italy and Spain.
The determination" of all loyal
list elements means the destruction of
the idealism of Spain and the democ-
racy which had recently attained
foothold there. The intellectuals
and other leaders holding such ideals
will doubtless suffer death at the
hands Of the rebels.
Leaders in the revolution will be
rewarded by being given offices IN
victorious regime. Provinces that
have helped the rebel cause will be
rewarded; other provinces will be
punished. Navarro, for instance,
which has given thous san d
of soldiers to the rebel cause,
will be given an outlet to the sea and
a port, cutting through Guipuzcoa
Province. Thus the old Basque
speaking territory of Guipuzcoa
would be completely severed, strik-
inga deathblow to the autonomy
cherished by the Basques. What is
more astounding is that Catalonia,
with its modern French-like city of
Barcelona, seat of SPANS leading
university and principal Mediteran-
can port, will "become part of Ara
gon." Catalonia with its ancient and
important language different from
Spanish and French, a PROVENCE
which has been called the light of
Spain because of it's literary and sci
entific activities, is to be annexed to
the old medieval mountain state Of
Aragon, noted for its Church tradi-