Evening star., 1937-10-03
VOLUNTEERS STIR
IRE OF SPAN|ARDS
Whichever Side Is Victor,
First Job Is to Gust
Foreigners.
BY WILLIAM BIRD,

PARlS, OCTOBER 1t is not one
war that is being fought in Spain, but
many wars, and for that reason neither
rebel victory nor government VIC
tory would have any finality about it.
Those who prefer real understand
Ing of the Spanish struggle to blind
partisanship must begin by confessing
that the situation is extremely COM
plex and that all efforts at simplifica-
ton cannot help being misleading.
l have just returned from a visit
to the Basque frontier, where I had
the opportunity of conversing with
high French officials and also with
many partisans of Gen. Franco. AL
though the frontier is nominally closed
q great many people cross back and
iortn every day on more or less legit-
innate business, and among these are
naturally a great many informers. so
that the news of what is going on in
reoel territory gets around surprisingly
fast.
Italians, Germans Resented.
Ihe domination of Germans and
Italians everywhere is a source of great
irritation to the Spanish population.
Whether they sympathize with the
rebellion or the republic, they keenly
resent the arrogant inSolence of the
foreign volunteers" and Franco svm-
pathizers themselves told me that.
after the victory of the rebellion.
which they regard as certain. SPANS
next problem will be to boot the Ger
mans and Italians out of the country.
one Franco sympathizer went so
far as to declare that Franco was
practically an Italian prisoner at the
moment, and that the Italians had
refused to allow him to make a fri
umphal entry into Santander after
the capitulation of the CITY. But he
eoded, the famous "Falangistas "
whose organization was recently dis
banded at the behest of Italv. have
maintained secret organization and
VIII take control after the expected
victory is won.
DIssensions in Government.
Parallel dissensions exist on the gov
ernmental side. Few people are aware
that the Spanish government main
talns what are practically two separ-
ate embassies in Paris. one represent
ing the Negrin cabinet and the other
the Largo Caballero opposition. The
stan and employees of both estab-
lshments, which incidentally are in
the same street, are on the Spanish
government pay roll.
Both Negrin and Larbo Caballero
are determined that the rebellion shall
pe crushed, but they disagree Violently
on the way to accomplish it. 1t was
Largo Caballeros idea that all parties
ana factions on the Loyalist side
should be represented in the cabinet.
tnat every soldier who risked his life
Tor the country, whether Democrat
socialist, Communist or Anarchist
should be able to feel that he was
ngnting not only for the preservation
OF the republic, but also for his own
personal ideals.
Unfortunately for this generous
ioea, Moscow would not have it. Mos
COW Is determined to kill two birds
WIN one stone: Beat Franco and his
German and Italian allies. and SUD-
press Trotskyism and anarchism. Of
these two aims, the latter, to Stain
Is the more important.
Want to Escape Stain.
the Spanish Republican govern
ment were able to get arms and muni-
tons from other sources. it would he
only too delighted to tell Stain In
go hang. But, with minor excep-
tlons, such as Mexico. Soviet Russia
Is the only nation giving active aid
to the government side, and when If
raced Largo Caballero with the alter
native of getting rid of the Trotskv-
lsts ana Anarchists or losing Soviet
support, Larbo Caballero was obliped
10 resign and make way for a cabi-
net willing to obey Moscow's dictates
Ihe p. o. U. M" or United Marx
ist party, composed chiefly of Trotskv-
ties, mas been disbanded. thousands
OF lts leaders and followers impris-
oned and hundreds executed, all be-
cause Stain is bent on suppressing
1rotskylst opposition. The Anarchists
ana Synd1callsts, who far outnumber
tne Communists in Spain, are hound
cd and prosecuted They have less
liberty today than they had under
King Alfonso.
But as the Falangistas say on the
other side of the fighting line the
Loyalist Spaniards keep repeating:
just walt until this war is won. and
zee what short .shrift we will give Mr.
STAIN On both sides the Spanish
comoatants are sick of foreign dicta-
ton. N'0'"
tcopyright. 1879