Evening star., 1938-12-16
Spanish Insurgents
Divide on Prospect
OF AIfonso's S Return
Order Restoring Rights
Issued by Burgos
Rebel Council
By the Associated Press.

HENDAYE, France, Dec. 16.-
The decision of the Spanish insur-
gent generalissimo, Francisco Fran
co, to erestore all civil rights and
properties to former King Alfonso
sharply divided insurgent opinion
today on the imminence of a re-
turn to the monarchy.
The decree giving Alfonso "all
rights that correspond to him as
a citizen of Spain" was read by Gen.
Franco to the Insurgent Council of
Ministers at Burgos, and they
adopted it yesterday.
One group of insurgents at this
border zone said it was the first
step toward restoring the Bourbon
monarchy in Spain, backed by Gen.
Franco. tSpanish circles in Rome,
where Alfonso is living, doubted he
would return soon to Spain as
result of the decree.)
Another group, however, declared
that Gen. Franco took only tenn
porary step to still growing fears
among Carlists, a separate mon
archial group, and followers of AL
fonso that the insurgent regime
had no intention Of putting a king
back on the throne.
Mission to Rome Reported.
In any event, as soon as the de-
cision was known, widespread Gre
dence was given here to reports pub
lished yesterday from Morocco that
Gen. Franco had sent a mission to
Rome to discuss the monarchy ques-
ton with the Infante Don Juan,
Alfonso's youngest son.
Alfonso left the throne April IA,
1881, during bloodless revolt which
brought about the Spanish republic,
now represented by the Barcelona
Valencia government, against which
the Franco insurgents are warning.
1t was reported year ago that
Gen. Franco might agree to Prince
Juan, rather than Alfonso himself,
for a king of insurgent-held terri
tory. Alfonso is So, Juan Is.
Most of the Bourbon and Carlist
monarchist leaders were said to have
agreed early in the war that Juan
would be acceptable to them. The
blue-shirted Falangists, an impor-
tant element of the insurgent po-
litical set-up, long have been nom
committal, however.
Led by De Rivera's Daughter.
The Moroccan reports, carried by
border newspapers, said the Rome
mission was led by Pillar Primo de
Rivera, a daughter of the one-time
dictator, and included the insurgent
propaganda chief, Dionisio Ridruejo,
and the writer Eugene Monies.
The report declared the delega-
ton was composed almost exclusively
of Falangists and would offer Don
Juan the throne provided he backed
up the totalitarian vertical syn
dicalism" program of the Falangist
party.
Their program is for a council
composed of industry and labor,
which would act as adviser" to the
dictator, and Is similar to Premier
Mussolini's cooperative system in
Fascist Italy.
Properties returned to Alfonso by
the decree yesterday include the
famous Summer Palace, Magdalena,
at insurgent Santander.
Neither Alfonso nor any member
of his family has been in Spain since
the war started, except for a brief
visit by Prince Juan, the third son.
On the war front itself, two in
surgent attacks in Northeastern and
Southwestern Spain apparently were
cut short before the long awaited
general offensive could develop.
Insurgent dispatches said there
we're merely local engagements on
the Estremadura and Catalan fronts
yesterday. Barcelona reports dis
puted this and said the insurgents
suffered bitter defeat in the Pozo-
blanco zone after an attack with
tanks and large forces Of infantry.
From Barcelona came an an
nouncement that an organization of
400 spies was discovered, headed by
a major on the government army
general staff; that 200 were SEN
fenced to long prison terms and
some were condemned To death.