Evening star., 1940-10-18
Shuke-up in Spuin

yesterday has important political i'm
plications. In the first place, Gen.
eralissimo Franco has appointed his
brother-in-law, Serrano Suner, Min
lister of Foreign Affairs. Suner is
unquestionably Francois right-hand
man and has just returned to Spain
from a special mission to Germany
and Italy, during which Spain's rela-
ton to the axis powers was exhaus-
lively discussed. He is known to be
strongly pro-aXis, so his appointment
as Foreign Minister implies still
closer ties with the axis, either as a
very benevolent neutral or as an
open ally in the war.
This Interpretation is strengthened
by the fact that Serrano Suner is
the outstanding leader of the Fascist
party in Spain, the So-Called Span
iSh PnalanX Falange ESpanola).
Many Americans are unaware Of the
deep rift which existed even during
the civil war in the ranks of the
Nationalists whom Franco led to
ultimate victory. That war began
as an uprising against radical
republic by the army and various
conservative elements, of which the
Fascist Phalanx was then by no
means the most important. At that
time, the great landowners, the
church and the fanatically mon
archiSt peaSantry of the north were
the backbone of the Nationalist
rebellion. These elements, signifl-
cantly known as TraditionaliSts,
aimed at restoring the crown and
the old order of things which the
republic had upset.
However, the terrific course of the
civil war so shattered Spain that
simple return to the traditional past
was impossible. This left the field
open for the PhalanX, which advo-
Gated an authoritarian regime SIM
liar to the FasciSm of Italy and the
National Socialism of Germany. AS
l1lllC pdSSCo lllC lldlollh llOU Ollly
converted many Nationalists, but,
after the civil war, it recruited many
Of the defeated radicals among the
Republicans. The internal history
of Spain since the close of the civil
war has been the steady growth of
the FalangiSts in power and prestige,
against the diminishing opposition
of the Traditionalist elements. The
present cabinet shifts may well mean
the definite triumph of the Phalanx
and the establishment of a thor
oughgoing Fascist regime in Spain,
with all that this implies. The
Phalanx has certainly won the two
key cabinet posts. Serrano Suner
displaces an old army man and mon
archist at the Foreign Office, while
another leading Falangist gets the
ministry of the interior in place of
a Traditionalist conservative.
The only possible makeweight to
the PhalanX in the new setup is the
army. In Spain, the army occupies
a peculiar position. Always in poll
tics, it has been chronically jealous
of its privileges and prerogatives.
Indeed, it was the republics attempt
to defate the army politically which
did much to bring on the civil war.
General Franco is, of course, an
army man and apparently has the
orthodox army mentality. 1t will be
interesting to see how deep is the
influence of Serrano Suner, his
dynamic brother-in-law, if an at
tempt is made to establish a Fascist
regime which would subordinate the
army, like everything else, to Span
ish "totalitarian" state on the Nazi
model. The army, while ultra
patriotic and ambitious for foreign
conqueSts, is inclined to be intensely,
even narrowly, Spanish in its out
look. The Phalanx, on the other
hand, seeks the closest relations with
Italy and Germany, and aims to
mold Spain in their image. If the
Phalanx triumphs, Spain aligns it.
self unreservedly with the new
order" the axis seeks to fashion for
the world