The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-04
FRANCO LOSES
FRIENDSHIP
OF BRITISH
Continued from Page ~


men, women and children from
Bilbao is a direct consequence OF
destruction by German war planes
Of Guernica, which has aroused
public feeling here as no other
event in the war has done.
British Branded "PerfidiOus"
Feeling was exacerbated when
Frances note was received, de-
claring the evacuation was a boil
shevik trick to permit the reds
more easily to destroy the ma
tional wealth of Bilbao"
Despite the tragedy of the sit
uation, the British sense OF humor
was touched by the idea of Tory
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin
working for the BolSheviks. Brit
ish smiles, however, changed to
contempt when inSurgent Gen.
Oueipo De Llano's latest broadcast
from Seville denounced the evacu-
alton as a shameful equivalent
of a directly hostile act" and
named the British as "interna-
tional crocodiles of perfidious al
bion."
Significance of the words Is
that the British until now have
attempted to be vigorously neutral,
but as a matter of fact by their
actions have favored Frances
cause.
BY championing noninterven-
ton from the beginning, they did
more than anyone to cripple the
Madrid government, which there
after was never able to receive
as much help from its Sympa-
thizers-France and RuSSla-aS
Franco received from Italy and
Germany.
Fear Loss of Iron Ore
Now, however, the British change
of front is based not only upon
sentimental revulsion against the
slaughter of Guernica's defenseless
toWnsfolk but upon the realiza-
ton that if Franco takes the
BASQUE provinces, Britain will lose
to Germany and Italy the Basques'
iron ore, which was most useful
to England in the World War,
and which Germany especially
wants now.
There is no question but that
the Germans have concentrated
forces with Frances in the north.
I lived for a week at a hotel for
merly called Francia, but now
called Gran, in Vitoria, headquar-
tiers for German General, Sander,
in command of the Legion Con-
dor" the name given the German
contingent in Spain.
This German Legion, numbering
around 10000, is made up Of regu'
lar German army troops, and can
by no euphemism be described as
volunteer ,inaSmuch as most of the
Reischwehr :. soldiers assigned to
this duty did not know whittier
they were bound until they were
aboard ship. *-...
AACA OuSACS HI Spain
Besides their special task Of do
ing most Of the air bombing, the
Germans in Spain are entrusted
with the maintenance of major
lines of. communication and anti
aircraft, heavy artillery, tank and
special machine-gun units. Their
field radio sets in speedy trucks
are seen everywhere in Frances
Spain.
When they are not busy trans
hitting military messages, their
radio sets outside the Gran Hotel
can be heard receiving gay music
from the capitals of Europe. Their
"gelaondewagon," special automo-
biles for cross-country work,
swarm every road.
The Reichswehr general staff
was said to have strongly opposed
any intervention in Spain which
might drag Germany into an in.
ternational conflict before she was
fully prepared. The rank and file
Of German soldiers in Spain, how
ever, seem to enjoy themselves.
They receive about 10 times
the domestic pay of common sol,
dierS, getting the equivalent OF
$3.50 day. The best restaurants
in Vitoria are crowded with Ger.
man soldiers eating comparatively
expensive food.
IriShmen Withdrawn
All the more astonishing is the
letter printed today in the Irish
Independent from Genera
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