The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-09-21
BY H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright. 1885, by International
News Servicel

(SopyFlknCV 1855 Dy 1nteTnaGouaA
News Service)
GIBRALTAR.-I flew over here
to file my interview with General
Franco. Three days ago I filed
by the Seville radio message
which took over 48 hours to ar
rive. So there is no use trying
that any more.
1t only took one hour to fly
here from Seville, and our only
worry was whether we could land
in Gibraltar. It has no landing
field, only q small polo ground.
But the pilot of the little Leopard
Moth, ice-hockey star and aero
batic ace, the young Canadian,
William Ross, could land on bill
lard table.
Rock Impressive
We came in and circled the
rock. my first sight of the males
tic fortress, made familiar to
every American by the insurance
advertisements. 1t was far more
impressive than I had imagined.
I now dismiss any inclination I
might have had to believe the
Italian claim that they could
disable the rock by air bombing.
It would be just as easy to dis
able duck by sprinkling him
with water.
The field Immediately swarmed
with children, hundreds Of them,
ragged, poor looking kids, most
of them obviously from workers
families, reds who were near
enough to Gibraltar to take adj
vantage of British hospitality.
Two young British polo playing
officers kindly took us in their
car. The frontier formalities we're
the briefest I have ever known.
You need no visum for your pass
port in Gibraltar. This, I was
told is because "Gib" is fortress,
coming under the authority Of the
army and not Of the foreign Of
flee.
I had thought there was some
land at Gibraltar, but no, 1t is all
rock. The town itself is prac-
tically international. It is today
jammed with visitors, mostly uni
formed sailors of score of ma
tionalities. A German cruiser was
at anchor and its sailors were by
far the smartest on the streets.
They saluted with such a ire
mendous clicking of heels and
such ramrod stiffness that was
carried back to the atmosphere
of Berlin. It reminded me also
of the contrast General Franco
had presented. The general is un-
doubtedly going to be the dictator
of military Spain when and if the
whites win. He is the idol Of the
white army. He is the Spanish
ideal of a military man.
Yet he had not seemed mill
tary" to me at all. This was be-
cause I had always associated
the idea of military" with Prus-
sian. The Prussian officer car
ries over his commando" tone
from the drill grounds to ordi-
nary life, and his talk is clipped
and harsh. General Franco has
an agreeable, rounded voice. He
has the face and particularly the
eyes of an artist. His manners
are those of the drawing room,
not Of the drill ground.
Thorough Search
Nevertheless I had been i'm
pressed by one typically military
piece of efficiency in FRANCOIS
office. Before we entered we were
searched, politely and apologize
ally, particularly as we were in
the company of Captain Bolin,
but nevertheless searched and
thoroughly. MY companion pho
tographer even had to open up
his cameras to prove they con-
cealed no lethal weapon.
Then all during the interview
which lasted an hour, I noticed
that the door leading into. the
next room was ajar. In the next
room were Francois bodyguards.
The door had mirror in it, and
one of the guards sat in such
a position that he could see me
in the mirror. Whenever I glanced
that way the guard looked down
at the map he was lingering.
but there was not a second of the
time that he was not aware Of
every movement I made.