Evening star., 1936-11-29
SPANS RAW MATERIALS
LURE HITLER AND IL DUCE
Franco Undertook to ''Reorganize" Dis
tribution in Return for Their I'm
equivocal Support.
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.

tend to allow the European
L democracies, with the CO.
operation Of the United
States, the time necessary to bring
their peace organization" plans to
fruition. The steel curtain is draw
ing closer around Russia, Great Brit
ain, their associates and allies.
The recognition of Gen. Francisco
Franco before the actual occupation
of Madrid and the announcement of
the German-Japanese understand
ing" are the last two moves placing
before Europe an accomplished fact
These two developments were fully
expected by the chancelleries of the
non-authoritarian states. Their tim
Ing was the only surprise.
The hasty recognition of Gen.
Frances junta as the de facto gov
ernment of Spain has revealed to
London and Paris another angle of
the understanding between the Span
1sh "Jefe" and the other two dictators.
That angle is the economic agree
ment on which was based the support
given the head of the Spanish junta
by Mussolini and Hitler.
Heretofore it has been assumed that
In exchange for the strong political
and military assistance which made
Frances victory possible the German
and the Italian dictators obtained as
surances that the Spanish ports in
Morocco and the Balearic Islands
UnYrId ha y>Ionnd Of hn 4f
the central powers in the event of
. war. German and Italian experts
were known to have made surveys at
Ceuta and Melilla for the eventual
transformation of these two ports into
naval bases. The Island of Majorca
is to become the principal air base for
italian aviation. Italian troops. esti-
mated by some neutral observers at
around 10000 men. are reported to
be concentrated in Majorca.
Frances Ranks Trimmed.
Frances armies are getting breath
less. They are excellent fighters. but
all are mercenaries-foreign legion
and Moroccan tribesmen-whose
ranks have been thinned by the many
months of relentless fighting. For
the time being, Franco has no means
Of replenishing his ranks from the
population of Spain.
Catalonia is the hotbed of socialism
and communism in Spain. In order
to become the unchallenged ruler of
the country that important section OF
Spain must be brought into submis-
sion. And since it is probable that
frances tried legionnaires may not
be able to do the job. the central
powers have hastened their recogni-
ton Of the military leader, thus being
in better position to come to his aid
more effectively than if he were a
mere revolutionary chieftain.
Hitler and Mussolini are anxious to
have the Spanish revolution liquidated
at the earliest possible moment. They
both need the raw materials which
exist in great quantities in the Iberian
Peninsula and which at the present
moment are almost exclusively con-
trolled by Great Britain. According
to the latest reports, Franco, in his
anxiety to obtain the unequivocal sup
port of the two strongest military
powers OF Europe, agreed to ''recog-
nize" the distribution of Spain's raw
materials in favor of Germany and
Italy. and putting an end to British
monopoly.
Spain, despite the riches which its
soil contains, has remained almost
exclusively an agricultural state and
its mines were exploited for the bene-
f1t of the foreigner. The industrial
countries of Europe took good care to
prevent the industrial development of
the country.
The finest lead ore in the world.
without which British industry would
be placed in an inferior position, is
taken from the mines of Oviedo,
Murcia, Almeria, Huelva and Seville.
British Own Resources.
Coal, equally necessary to Italy's
national defense and industry, is to
be found in large quantities In Oviedo,
Leon, Valencia and Cordoba So are
iron and copper. Sulphates of soda
exist-partly unexploited-in Burgos..
And all these riches are actually in
the hands of British industrialists.
Pending other developments which
would place sources of raw materials
in the hands Of the "have-nots" the
Fascist states are satisfied, for the
time being at least, with obtaining
their supplies from Spain. OF course,
they realize that in the event of an
international confiagration, their lines
of communication with their new
ally might be endangered by the
French and the British fleets. And
that danger is rapidly being mini
mized by the construction of Italy's
new navy in the Mediterranean.
The British are worried about this
latest and somewhat unexpected de-
velopment, but helpless. With the
advanced methods of production in
the German factories and the cheaper