The Washington times., 1937-05-11
EUROPE DRAWS
BREATHAGAIN,
SAYS SCRIBE
Reds in Spain H o d
Advantage in Num-
bers, He Thinks

Danger of an international 1Ddr
over Spain, although still eTiSting,
has receded, H. r. Knickerbocker,
International NetDS SerO'ce cor
respondent lUriteS today in the
last of his series of articles on
the Spanish conflict.
BY H. r. KINCKERBOCKER,
world Copyright. 1881. by international
News Service, Reproduction in whole
Or in Part Strictly PrOhibited)
LONDON, May 11.-Six months
ago an international war over
Spain seemed highly probable. To-
day the danger, although still ex-
listing, has receded, and Europe
feels it has another breathing
spell.
Once more the aggressive powers
stopped just this side Of war.
Last December four nations be-
gan pouring men and arms into
spain. No one could foresee the
limit Of their participation. Ger
many and Italy we're on Insurge1t
Gen. Franisco Frances side, and
France and Russia were on Mad
rid'S side.
Checked by Realization
It was evident to all that if this
flood of men and arms was con-
tinued without check it was bound
to spill over, and the Germans
and italians, Frenchmen and Rus
slams would soon be fighting our-
side as well as inside of Spain.
This very realization has
checked the flood. The nations
warning in Spain went UP to the
very edge of an international con-
flict, then drew back, just as they
had done half a dozen times since
the World War, as when Chan
cellor Dollfuss was killed by Nazis
in Austria, when King Alexander
was assassinated in Marseilles,
when Premier Mussolini defied
the British navy and when Chan
cellor Hitler marched into the
Rhineland.
Germany stopped with her TO-
900 soldiers in Spain and Italy
with her $4,000, France and Rus
STA with their 10000 and 10000.
Under the spell Of war fear, the
ridiculous and impotent" non
intervention committee exacted a
promise from belligerent outsiders
to cease sending support to Spain
February 20 and an agreement
to impose international Supervis-
ion on SPANS frontiers and coasts |
effective April 10.
No Confirmed Shipments
Britain backed France and
France told Germany and Italy to
quit or take the consequences,
which would be French divisions
in Spain. Since non-intervention
control went into effect there have
been no authenticated shipments
Of men and arms into Spain.
Nobody knows, of course. how
long the truce will last. Who,
then, will win the military vic
tory? Franco has his 1000 1tal-
fans, 10000 Germans and quarter
Of a million Spaniards under arms.
He needs manpower. He lacks
money but has the richest agricul-
tural districts in Spain. He has
undisputed dictatorial control.
Have Double ManpOwer
The Reds have double Francois
manpower, with 10000 or 10000
men in the international column,
who taught the red militia how to
fight. The reds boast they could
now do without the international
column. They have the gold in
the Bank Of Spain, originally $780,
100000. They are torn by inter
nal dissenSions, sometimes break
ing out into civil war within civil
war, as in Catalonia. They still
lack a unified command.
AS the war now is proceeding,
1t becomes more and more diff
cult to see how Franco can win
decisively within q practicable
time. On the other hand, it is
impossible to see how the reds
can win at all. 1t looks like a
deadlock which may continue in
definitely until one side or the
other Succumbs to moral, political
and finally military exhaustion.