Evening star., 1939-03-07
Spain S Nationalist
Cold 10 French
Refugee Problem
Burgos Authorities
Close Frontier and
Refuse to Take $4,000
BY PERTINAX.

PARIS, March 7 (N.AN.A).-
How is the French government to
get rid of the 100000 refugees from
Republican Spain dncluding some
50,00O-odd soldiers), which are prov
ing such a costly and troublesome
burden and. in an international
crisis, might seriously hamper and
delay the mobilization of the 10th
and 18th Army Corps. whose head
quarters are at Montpelier and
Toulouse, respectively.
There is no more urgent problem
to be solved in the near future. The
undertaking bristles with difficulties.
A careful census has been COM
pleted of all the Spanish refguees.
Forty thousand of them cannot be
sent back to Spain-ten thousand
because they are common criminals
and thirty thousand on account of
their past political activities. which
would expose them to the reprisals
of the Nationalistic regime, as they
could not hope to escape the penal
law recently enforced.
Bullitt is Approached.
The 10000 men of the former
category will necessarily have to be
treated as convicts, and therefore to
be deported to suitable places over
seas. The other 10000 are quite
capable of becoming good citizens
of a foreign country. Negotiations
have already been opened up with
various South American states, for
instance Colombia and Argentina,
and William C. Bullitt, the Ameri-
can Ambassador to France, seems
to have been approached. The Idea
is that these men could be received
as useful settlers.
AS to the balance of 100000 men
and women. no valid objection what
ever can be raised to their early
repatriation TO Spain. However, the
Burgos authorities have closed the
Franco-Spanish frontier and nobody
Is allowed to 60 across.
To the representations made on
behalf of the French cabinet, the
Nationalist government obstinately
replies that it has to feed the huge
population of Barcelona, that, be-
fore very long. 1t will have to provide
for the needs of the numerous in
habitants of Madrid, and that its
supplies would speedily run short
If. in addition. it had to take charge
Of 100000 additional persons.
France May Aid.
There is reason to believe that
the French government is ready
to meet that argument through
giving a promise that. for a period
of time, the quantities of food
stuffs requisite to nourish the refu-
gees, once they have returned to
their own land, would be regularly
sent from France.
Obviously the French government
would benefit by an arrangement Of
that kind. 1t would feel certain, at
any rate, that the problem of the
refugees would disappear from the
picture before many months are
over and that its responsibilities
would not last indefinitely.
It now devolves upon Foreign
Minister Bonnet and Marshal Petain,
the new ambassador to Burgos, to
negotiate an agreement on the
above lines with Frances ministers
and the Spanish ambassador ex-
pected in Paris shortly.
Meanwhile, there is not the faint
est indication that the Burgos au-
thorities will show any willingness
to lift the mortgage which weighs
upon France and is fraught with so
many embarrassment to her, both
internal and external. It has been
credited with an intention of au-
thorizing not more than $50 refugees
to pass the Franco-Spanish frontier
every day. At such tempo, Span
ish refugees would still be found in
France after three years. 1t is un-
likely to change its views unless 1t
can exact high price.
(Copyright, 1899, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc)