The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-28

O4SNA4O " U14O persuaded by the "CrOquet Clique" inside the State Department to favor such credit.
 Two days after publication of the article Secretary Hull char acterized it as wholly inaccurate" said it was "a complete misrepre- sentatiOn; all the earmarks, and every other phase that is visible would indicate it to be a deliber- ate misrepresentation"
 We are glad to publish MT. Hull's denial.
 Coincidentf with that denial, Lord Halifax, British Foreign Min ister, was appointed Ambassador to the United States. And since Lord Halifax had great deal to do with proposing that the United States give credit of $100,000 to Spain; since Lord Hali- fax is destined to play a very im- portant role in the future affairs of the United States; and since we consider it the right of the American public to know just how the inside of the State Depart ment functions at this crucial moment, we print herewith the full details regarding the proposed $100,000, 900 credit which the State Departments "Croquet Clique" proposed to give to General Franco.
 Lord Halifax, it is important to recall, was foremost among the members of the Chamberlain cabi- net who backed General Franco against the Spanish Republican government. He also used his in- fluence with American diplomats so that U. s. policy would follow 8 similar course-or at least not cross up British policy.
 HALIFAX MISTAKE
 Many British leaders, faced to- day with German troops inside Spain and a daily threat to Gibraltar, feel that the Halifax policy was a mistake. Perhaps to retrieve himself and to keep Spain neutral, Halifax recently has been proposing help to General Franco.
 His chief ally in this policy has been Sir Samuel Hoare, one of England's foremost appeasers and now ambassador to the Franco government in Madrid.
 In favOring support for
 Franco, Halifax and H0are took
 the position that England her.
 self could not help, since as a
 beligerent, her help would be
 viewed with suspicion. Therefore
 they told their Spanish friends
 that they would use their good
 offices to get help for Franco
 from the United States.
 This was done through Alex ander P. Weddel, U. s. ambassa- dor to Spain, also through the late Lord Lothian, who was a close friend of Halifax and Hoare. But the man through whom both Weddell and Lothian worked in Washington was chiefly James c. Dunn, political adviser to Sec- retary Hull, and possibly his clos est friend.
 HULL ARGUES WITH WELLES
 Jimmy Dunn is sincere in his convictions, and those convictions tend toward the belief that Re- publican Spain was nothing more than hot-bed of Communists. It was also Jimmy Dunn who ap- parently persuaded MT. Hull that General Franco should get the $10O,O0O, ,0O0 credit from the United States.
 However, when the question came before Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles, he pointed out that there was a large body of opinion in the United States which disagreed vigorously with the views of MT. Dunn, and seri- ously distrusted Franco. He argued that the State Department would undermine it's confidence with the American people if a credit was given to Franco-especially at a time when Franco's brother-in- law, Foreign Minister Suner, had just been feted and entertained by Hitler and Mussolini.
 Furthermore, Welles pointed out, there was no guarantee Franco would not take the credit and then come into the war on the side of Germany anyway. So the "Croquet Clique" cabled back to Madrid and finally obtained a semi-promise from Franco that he would remain neutral.
 Actually, Ambassador Weddell
 did not obtain this pledge,
 though he was given credit for
 lt. It was obtained by Sir
 samuel Monre. And the best