Evening star., 1938-07-10
GERMANY SHIFTS .
TO L0YAL|ST SIDE
Aid Given to Barcelona to
Keep Civil War From
Ending Too Soon.
BY WILLIAM BIRD.

BY WILLIAM BIRD.
PAR1S, July Germany Is playing
most complicated game In Spain.
Although from the very outset of the
Spanish tnsurrection, two years ago.
Germany was lined up on the rebel
side-the cooperation between the
Hitler government and the Spanish
rebels began indeed many months be-
fore the rebellion actually broke out
there Is . vast difference between the
attitude Of the Reich toward the Span
ish conflict and the attitude Of italy.
Italy and Germany are partners In :
the enterprise, but each has its special
province and Its special interests. Each
Is as much concerned TO defend its own
against the other as to defeat the COM
mon enemy.
Thus, while the government-son-
trolled italian press brags daily about
the exploits Of Italian volunteers" In
Spain-even boasting Of the sinking of
British ships by Italian legionaries--
the government -controled German
press pays relatively little attention TO
the Spanish conflict, seeming to wish
to give the German people the impress
sion that Spain is secondary ques-
ton.
Germany Aids Loyalists.
But what is good deal more curious
Is that 1t now appears to be proved
that Germany has actually, for its own
special purposes, been aiding the cause
CnoniCh
in recent weeks. There seems to have
been fear In Berlin that the Spanish
War might be terminated too quickly,
and therefore measures had to be taken
to stifien the Loyalist resistance.
That sounds fantastic II the allega-
ton were made only by Reds" one
might suspect that 1t was propaganda
designed to SOW dissension In the rebel
camp. and especially between the
members Of the Berlin-Rome axis.
But a Paris newspaper of extreme
"Rightist" and even Fascist SYM
pathies declares that, in recent weeks.
numerous motor caravans coming frors
Germany have crossed France, carry
Ing supplies to Barcelona. Frankly
even considering the source, it Is diff
cult to believe.
| Change No Secret.
However, the London Observer. one
OF the very few British papers allowed
to circulate in Italy-it belongs to
Lord Astor, husband of the famous
American peeress. who is often called
the chief OF the neo-Fascist movement
in EnglandHsays:
1T Is no secret that German influ-
ence and German Intervention in
spain have recently changed sides, in
order to delay the putting into effect
Of the Anglo-Italian agreement"
The operation. the observer adds. has
been conducted very discreetly, in or
der not to jeopardise the final victory
Of the Franco rebellion.
War Thorn to France, England.
Moreover, the violently pro-Franco
and pro- -Mussolini Action Francaise,
Paris Royalist organ, states:
So long as the civil war is not I'm
ished, Italy will keep her troops in
Spain. The Anglo Italian agreement
Will not be applied. The rspproche-
ment between England and Italy will
be retarded. The war in Spain, 1t goes
without saying, Is thorn in the side
OF both France and England"
There is little doubt that Germanys
ardent desire Is to keep Italy, France
and England all busy watching Spain,
while Germany continues to put the
pressure on in Central Europe. It ha
good deal like the conjurer, who con-
trlves to focus your attention on his
right hand while his left slips the rab-
bit into the hat. Should the Spanish
war come to an end. the powers-in-
cludlng 1taly-would be free to con-
centrate all their attention on the
German problem.
The suggestion is heard here that
Italy would be quite happy to stop the
oombardments of civil populations and
OF British ships. in the hope of reach
ing satisfactory settlement with Ion-
oon, but that the German airmen with
the Franco army have orders from
Berlin TO continue the bombings. thus
preventing an understanding between
London and Rome.
Communist War Out
What Is most interesting in these
confessions - for. considering the
source. they cannot be called other
wlse-is the disappearance Of the
anti Communist" thesis which the
Germans and Italians have empha-
sized hitherto. Neither In Rome nor
Berlin, and not even among the apolo-
gsts OF the Franco cause in other
countries, is there any longer a serious
enort to maintain the story that the
war In Spain is a struggle between
bokhevism" and the forces of order.
II Is becoming increasingly clear that
the interests Of Germany and Italv in
the Spanish conflict are By no means
identical. In fact, they are hardly
parallel any more. 1t Is Italys desire
to finish quickly. come to terms Nth
England, and turn toward the can
italisation Of the Ethiopian conquest.
It IL 0ermany's desire to keen the
Spanish struggle going until the sub
jugation OF Central Europe II accom-
plished. after which, the German,
think, there will be plenty Of time TO