The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-03

menaclng GlDralCar wa Frs
 Real fact is that on Tuesday of the week that Franco was recognized, Spanish Ambassador de los Rios called on the President and received definite assurances that recognition would not even be considered until he came back from Warm Springs.
 De los Rios blithely left the President, reached out his hand to feed the squirrels as he passed through the White House grounds. Four days later, the State De- partment had recognized Franco and the once serene de los Rios had joined the growing ranks of political exiles in the U. s. A.
 Between those two dates some interesting things happened, hitherto secret. One was that representatives of the Interna-
 tional Telephone & Telegraph company and the National City Bank, both having important properties in Spain, were wait ing on the Spanish border trying to get in. And Franco refused to let them in.
 He refused to admit them un- til he got U. s. recognition. The I. T. and T. owns the entire tele- phone system of Spain and it had visions of this huge investment falling into the hands of Hitler. German technicians already had begun to repair the exchanges and take over partial operation.
 So the State Department, under Roosevelt, acted as it did under Hoover and Coolidge, and moved to protect American property. Recognition of Franco was conSid- cred the way to secure it.
 TIMID RIOS
 However, in view of Roose- velt's promise to de los Rios, it was embarrassing to recognize Franco immediately. Especially embarrassing was the fact that de los Rios still remained in the Spanish embassy. After all, the State Department had just fin iShed encouraging the Czech min- ister to stand his ground and defy the Germans when they wanted to occupy his legation.
 But at this I0int the Span
 ish ambassador neatly played into the State Department'S hands.
 Ambassador de los Rios is most distinguished professor-fine beard, gracious manner, idealiStic, but naive and timid. The State De- partment liked him because he was timid. He never caused any trouble, took little part in the cam- paign to lift the Spanish em- bargo, actually went to Spain to bring back some of his women folk when the campaign was at its height.
 So when a minor official of the State Department called in the ambassador and dropped a hint that de los Rios might find Franco's new ambassador knock ing on the Embassy door one fine morning, de los Rios was aghast. The very thought of such embarrassment was too much. He hastened back to his Embassy and surrendered it im- mediately.
 Other members of the Embassy, mortified, called him a traiter to his beard. Next day, the State Department, able to argue that the Spanish ambassador had already recognized the non-existence of his own government by fleeing, recognized Franco.
 If de los Rios had remained, as did the Czech minister, he might have been there yet. BRITISH CONVEYANCE
 Another secret factor also en- tered into the situation. Franco was desperate to secure American recognition in order to get control of the Spanish gold supply be- lieved to be in the United States. This was part of the deal ar- ranged, strangely enough, through the connivance of the British. by which General Casada should seize control of the Loyalist gov- ernment and then surrender to the Rebels.
 Tn the United States. the span- ish Embassy had about s2.000 GOO worth of airplanes which it was unable to ship because of the em- bargo. They were on the docks in New York and Wilmington,