Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-15
BY EDGAR ANsEL MOwRER.


Judged by present performance,
some ofacials in Washington still
seem to believe in appeasing this
country's adversaries and in neglect
ing its friends. Take, for instance,
the American attitude toward Spain
and Thailand (Siam) on one side.
and China, on the other.
The Spsniards have been hand
in-grove with the Germans and the
Italians ever since Gen. Francisco
Franco revolted against the lawful
Spanish republic They have con-
sistently fiouted everything this
country stands for. They have car
ried on ofIicial Phalanx (Fascist)
propaganda in Latin America. They
have treated our business interest
in Spain in a manner for which the
mildest possible word is high
handed" They have, more recently,
made the widest of the Fascists,
Ramon Serrano Suner, their foreign
minister. They have done every
thing but enter the war on the side
Of the axis.
Not Americas Fault,
Admittedly, many people in Spain
are hungry. While Gen. Frances
richer supporters fash through the
streets In Rolls Royce Hispano- Suiza
cars. soldiers In uniform with broken
shoes accept aims from strangers in
the streets. But this was not Amer
1ca's fault. 1t was less the result Of
the civil war than Of the incredible
policies huge army. export Of
products needed at home to italy and
Germany; wholesale massacre Of
former adversaries-pursued by the
Franco government since the Ger
mans and the Moors cracked the
republicans.
The contemporary world Is thick
with refugees. Never were there 50
many and SO varied objects Of
legitimate sympathy. Never were
there 80 many chances for this coun-
try to show its fundamental gen.
erosity. But of them all. the Amer
lean State Department seems to
prefer-you guessed 1.-THE hungry
Spaniards.
Naturally, this Is not altogether
charity. Department officials hope,
by giving aid to the hungry vic
tins Of the Franco regime in
Spain. to persuade Gen. Franco
not to open his country to axis
transients who would like to use it
to attack Great Britain at Glib
raltar and. conceivably, Britain S
ally, Portugal
Red Cross Would Be Used.
For this reason everything was all
get recently for lending Gen. Franco
4 mere 100000, 900 In the form of .
credit for the purchase Of Ameri-
can food and cotton. But then Ser
rano Suner commented somewhat
too loudly on the glories Of the
axis and SPANS attachment to it
and the credit fell through. Were
the promoters of the credit in
Washington downhearted? Not at
all. There are ways and ways.
The latest way is to let Franco
Spaniards secure wheat and cot
ton out of the congressional appro-
priation Of $50, 900 900 for foreign
war relief. OF course. the Spanish
civil war was never recognized ~ q
war by the American administra-
ton. but why bubble? The transac-
ton, II there should be ofncial hest
tation about Government money be-
ing used for the purpose, will be
covered by the American Red Cross,
and naturally Gen. Franco is to
promise solemnly that he will not
help the axis or 60 to war. II,
friends Of the projects argue, this
can be accomplished by some Of
the $4,000, 900, won't it have been
cheap?
Critics OF the scheme admit that
it will. But. they insist. how can
you trust a man like Gen. Franco?
Suppose he takes the wheat and
cotton and then goes to war or 9TH