Evening star., 1936-08-09
SPAIN SYMBOL|ZES
..WORLD'SD DIVISION
Fascist-Leftist Conflict Is
Representative of a
Broader Dispute.
BY JOHN EVANS,
bH JOfNIN Il ExANOv
chief Of the Foreign Service the Associated


Chief of the Foreign Service the Associated
Press
NEW YORK, August 8-Europe's
statesmen talk of possibilities Of a
world war being started by the Span
ish rebellion, but the average man
wonders why.
The straight-thinking, honest
minded person sees civil war in Spain
as a struggle of two political elements.
each seeking to govern. They think
other nations will stay out Of the tight
because they see no reason why they
should JOIN 1t.
There is neutrality pact in max
Ing with eight nations pledglng
hands off" but world that has seen
peace pacts broken displays little faith
in an agreement that might be upset
over night by au incident" a clash
Of interests or a shot such as pre-
Viously have started wars.
World Struggle Foreseen.
What the statesmen see is a world
struggle between fsscism and COM
munism. a fight for control OF Europe,
a change to get territory. and revenge
for grudges nursed since the war Of
1914.
The world is splitting into two
groups.
Fascists represent property owners,
Monarchists. churchmen, moderates
and soldiers.
Communists profess to speak for
the masses" They advocate common
ownership of property In some form
and rule by those who work with their
hands.
There are many groups and parties
IN between. Probably the Fascists and
Communists are small minorities. but
they are active. They are extremes
around which rally militant millions
who are taught to fear the other fac
tons victory means disaster.
That struggle occurred in Russia,
italy and Germany and now Spain is
N flames. In France and other coun-
tries. the extremes are not so far apart
but the struggle is much the same.
Greece is the latest country to have
dictatorship TO stamp out COM
munism.
ny wal
Enmeshed in this wide conflict are
troubles left over from the war.
Germany Is on her way back to
power and prestige.
France Is arming through fear Of
Germany.
Russia is concerned by the advance
of Japan to the east and Germany
to the west.
Italy has MuSsolini who defied the
world and conquered Ethiopia and is
back in the concert" of nations.
The Balkans, where an assassina-
tion started war in 1914, are in a
mess and a blue funk Austria won-
ders If Hitler will annex her. Yugo-
slavia hates Italy. Hungary wants
back rich wheat fields the allies took
from her. Rumania intends to hang
on to her enlarged territory. half Of it
the reward for fighting with the al
lies. Czechoslovakia remembers Hit
ler's warning he must have all terri
4 tory where there are Germans, and
there are many there Even Turkey,
once subdued. raised her voice last
month and regained the right TO for
tify the Dardanelles.
Japan dominates in the Orient and
shows no sign Of slackening a relent-
less advance in Asia and toward Rus
sia.
That is the troubled world in which
statesmen fear and many believe,
the Spanish rebellion may explode.
Summary Of Spanish Situation.
Here Is the Spanish situation.
Spain in 1881 threw out Alfonso
XIII and his family, hereditary rulers
who failed to make Spain keep pace
with modern ideas of education, eco
nomic and agricultural reforms and
who stood sponsor for the power OF
the church in Spain.
Spain became a republic. Revolu-
tionary ideas, thriving in adversely,
found violent expression. Workers
and peasants, perhaps somewhat
drunk with new found liberty" ex-
pected things their government could
not Immediately give them.
Strikes, political agitation and dis
sension made a bad condition worse
until two extremes, Fascists and Com
munists, gathered strong followings
with fresh promises.
Fascists rallied churchmen who
once owned great part of Spain,
former monarchists, property owners
and moderates who feared rule by the
''people"
Communists gathered the workers
and peasants They won many So
eialHts disappointed in the republic.
Socialists Won Majority.
Elections in February gave the So
eiAlists good working majority in
Parliament but left them dependent
upon Communist support. Commun-
lists remained out Of the cabinet,
probably foreseeing the Socialists
would disappoint the people, who then
would turn to them
For months Gen. Francisco Franco,
sent to the Canary Islands to get him
out of the way, apparently planned q
revolt. He wanted to forestan Com
munism and set up dictatorial state.
He had 10000 well-trained soldiers
there and counted on most of the
army in Spain. He also counted on
the navy, but sailors imprisoned their
officers or threw them overheard and
most OF the navy remained loyal.
Three weeks of fighting show
Madrid holding out, but the rebel
Fascists control probably more than
half OF Spain. Both sides assert they