Evening star., 1936-08-20

League were so onerous that the gov
eminent could not, It thought, accept
them. Without League help Salazax
balanced the budget in short order,
and even established a surplus. Fol-
lowing England, he abandoned the gold
standard.
Not Ambitious Personality.
Prof. Salazar IL anything but the
aterical and ambitious personality. He
did not desire the power. It was thrust
upon him. He believes in the authori-
tartan, but not In the omnipotent or
totalitarian state. He has said that he
believes in the natural order of So
ciety based upon the family, the local
community and the professional and
national organization. The new con-
stitution adopted In 1888 provides for
the election Of President for a seven
year term by suffrage Of the heads Of
families. and for one-chamber parlia-
ment elected by universal suffrage.
Alongside this chamber exists the
council of corporations, which co-ope-
rates with the state in the regulation
Of production. prices and wages. The
lone "brain-truster" dictator Is an
ardent Catholic, educated for the
priesthood, and a hater Of violence. In
England he is often referred to as the
liberal dictator" and he has unquan-
fled British support.
Portugal not only traditionally relies
on England. but England Is pledged
IN her Y,r0tartfOrr hxy xxrrfnh
dates from 1861, and which Is still In
force today. 1t was concluded when
Charles II married Catharine of Bra
ganza, Of the Portuguese ruling house,
who brought to Britain as her dowry
Tangier and part Of India. Section
IS Of this treaty says: "The King Of
Great Britain doth profess and de-
clare. with the consent and advice Of
his council. that he will take the
interest of Portugal and all its domin-
ions to heart, defending the same with
his utmost power by sea and land,
even as England ITSELF"
Portugal Depends on England.
Portugal is economically almost en-
tirely dependent upon England. In
case she were aligned in q war against
Britain, she would be ruined. Britain,
on the other hand, wants the collabo-
ration Of Portugal as the base for the
protection of her colonies In Africa
and the Portuguese Azores for the
protection of her route to South Africa
and-should the Mediterranean ever
be blocked-for the protection Of her
only other route to India. Since the
war Portugal has stood with Britain
to block German claims to African
colonies, claims which might have
been. settled at the expense Of the
Portuguese colonies.
Not only is the Salazar government
in sympathy with the Spanish rebels,
as the history Of its own establish
ment and strong Catholicism Of the
dictator would lead it to be, but the
rebels are occupying most Of the i'm
portant points along the Spanish-Por-
tuguese border, where gun running Is
easy. Portugal is, in fact, the key
nation in the French non-intervention
plan, as was demonstrated by the Rus
sian demand that Portugal be In
cluded in the non-intervention agree
ment. Moscow made that collabora-
ton q condition of her own agree
ment.
Sympathies With Rebels.
It is my belief that, despite the
entente between Britain and France,
it is the hope of the British foreign
Office and the British war ONCE. that
the rebels will win, and that they will
win quickly without the necessity for
active support from Italy and Ger
many. For Spanish government set
up by these two countries and closely
bound to them would be intolerable,
in the long run, for Great Britain.
1t would be Immediately intolerable
for France. But . Communist govern
ment in Spain-or the rule Of the
Nihilistic Syndicalists - would be
equally intolerable for Britain's part