Evening star., 1937-01-03
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
NRESIpENT ROOSEVELT was
-, - - z-.-l . x,1..so-<

NRESIDENT ROOSEVELT was
- all set to spend a pleasant,
carefree, festive season. So
4 were high officials of the State,
War and Navy Departments. But
the dramatic change in the Spanish
situation marred the holiday spirit of
the leaders of the Nation.
There is little inclination in WASH
ington these days to treat the new
war menace in light manner. Re-
sponsible officials no longer take the
optimistic view that 1.-The more they
talk about war over there, the fewer
are the chances for such a catastrophe
to occur" Neither is the talk en-
couraged that Hitler and Mussolini
must play for the gallery in order to
make their people forget the hard
ship they have to undergo this Win
ter"
The President and his advisers hope
that some eleventh hour change will
at least defer the European crisis.
And every delay is considered here a
victory for the forces which are work.
ing for peace.
The unexpected turn in the Spanish
affairs due to the request, favorably
received in Berlin, of Gen. Francisco
Franco for the immediate dispatch of
five German divisions to help him
carry through his plans to occupy
Madrid was not wholly unexpected.
There are more factors behind this
request than appear on the surface.
For this reason, too, the reports that
Mussolini is willing and ready to
abandon Hitler's aggressive policy in
Spain are taken very cautiously.
Franco Knew Military Problem.
Frances request for active support
from his German ally was not made
on the spur of the moment. This
otherwise able officer knew full well
the military problems which would
confront him when he got to the
gates of the Spanish capital. Observ-
ers in Washington are inclined to be-
lieve that this development, new for
the outside world. had been planned
long ago by the diplomats of the au-
thoritarian states. From a purely
strategic point of view, no staff officer,
even one with extensive experience,
could have carried on the campaign
as Franco did with hope of success.
Gen. Franco adopted strategy which
required large bodies of men and al
most unlimited supplies He fought
the civil war as he would have fought
a foreign war, with the backing of all
the resources of his country. This
type Of warfare brought him to the
gates of Madrid with comparative
ease and there he had to stop, breath
less.
Franco Is an experienced strategist.
He knows his Spain, too. He knew
that he could not have the backing
Of the people, 80 per cent of whom
are against the rebels. Consequently.
there was no possibility of filling the
gaps created by heavy casualties from
the ranks of the Spanish population.
And the deeper he got into the coun-
try toward Madrid, the more hostile
the population was toward him and
his mercenaries. Had he intended to
fight civil war in the ordinary way
AAC WodA0 4ldEC PlO6lCOoCo olOWly, Ill St
conquered the provinces where he
could hope to get a friendly response
from the people, organized them, and
then moved on, disrupting the loyalist
government in this manner. Madrid
would have been his last objective.
A war of attrition was his only hope
for success, had no other arrange
hot, h
his foreign supporters.
1t now appears that Franco was
told to rush to Madrid, regardless of
the cost in war materials and human
lives. Berlin and Rome wanted peg
on which to hang their hats. They
wanted to recognize him as the actual
ruler of Spain. And for that purpose
1t was essential that he should at least
be at the gates of Spain's capital.
Mussolini Holds Tongue.
Therefore the question rises, in the
minds of most observers here, whether
the dictators did not intend to present
the world with an inextricable situa-
ton. 1t is noted in Washington that
all the reports about Italy's having
AUdlluOliCu I1ltlCl SpaAlloAl poASy
come from London and Paris, and
that, for the time being. Rome has
kept remarkably quiet. Mussolini is
talkative, but he knows when to hold
his tongue. When Premier Blum Of
fered his first neutrality plan. on Au-
gust 2, 1896, it took seven days for
the Italian foreign Office to get hold
of Mussolini and obtain his reaction
to that plan. Mussolini had chosen
that moment to travel around Italy
in his plane to inspect some recon-
struction work. What he was actually
doing was waiting for Hitler's reaction
on the French plan and also for the
fitting of q number of German war
ships to be sent to the Mediterranean.
He spoke only after Berlin turned the
green signal on him.
Mussolini's silence at this time, 1t is
generally interpreted here, is an indi-
cation that Hitler wants to leave an
open door for an eventual retreat from
his present position. Should he and
his general staff consider that the
stiff French attitude is dangerous to
Germany, and that Great Britain
really Is 100 per cent behind the