The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-07-21

Caudillo Franco I y are
much more re-
cent setup, under Caudillo FRANCOIS
leadership. than Fuehrer Hitler
or Duce Mussolini's groups, and
weren't recognized in Washington
until the AXIS Russian war started
as a possibly very disturbing in
huence IN opposition 10 Pan-Ameri'
can solidarity on the side OF the
rest of the worlds democracies
versus totslitarlanisn. Now It's
beginning 10 be suspected that IT'S
an influence TO be seriously recK-
oned with.
As has been noted before, the
so-called republic, 4th a pretty
strong Communistic >tinge, which
preceded Caudillo Frances present
Falangist regime in Spain. was
violently anti Catholic. Conse-
ouently. when Franco and his Fs-
langist followers launched their
campaign 10 overthrow republican
ism. IT naturally had a powerful
appeal 10 Spanish catholicism
which still was strong
The republican. put up a stif
fight and might have won but for
the help Franco received from Ger
many and Italy, Herr Hitler GER
tainly and Signor Mussolini prob
ably cared nothing for Franco on
religious grounds, but they evil
denly assessed him as a prospec-
tive dictator they could manage
to their own advantage. Commits
a Stain. though, preferred the
republicans. presumably because
Of their Communistic leanings. and
aided them all he could
Well. Franco and his Falangist
alignment triumphed. don't say
that the Spanish Catholics bene-
fitted politically by being totali-
tarianizedGb but it's u~ndeniable that
Franco doesn't Cypress their
church ard the so-called repub-
Leans did.
Hitler's Version
Now the AXIS starts %battering at
Russia. Herr Hitler proclaims II
as a holy war" against pagan
Communism. It's the bunk. OF
course. No doubt Communism IS
pagan. but that isn't why Adolf
went TO var with 1t.
Yet. consider the understandable
cerebration Of a Spanish Catholic
Falangist. He's a Falangist, not
necessarily because he's inherently
Falangistic, but because his church
was being prosecuted and Falang-
ism put a stop to II In all hkeli-
hood IT did so TO gain Spanish
Catholic support. not because eau
dillo Franco has much religion IN
his own system. but II did It. any
way. And the Russian Commu-
nists tried to aid the church's per-
secutors to stay in power The
Axis. on the opposite hand, helped
to hex EN-.
AS between the Axis and the
Russians. at val today, which n
is such a chap mighty Certain TO
sympathize with And what kind
Of a hit does 1t make with him TO
have Winston Churchill and Presi-
dent Roosevelt come out for Rus.
STA, even on an only temporary.
emergency basis?
Well, all accounts from Spain
are 10 the effect that Falangism
is 100 per cent anti-everything-
and-everybody who's ~pro-Russian.
regardless Of the Temperatures
of il.
Furthermore. u diplomats in
Latin America report that. Span
ish Falangist agents are being
rushed by the boatload into that
part Of the world TO do missionary
work Chances are that they're
being financed from Berlin. Spain.
couldn't afford II. A Spanish Fa-
langIst is a darned sight better
propagandlst. there than a German
or an Italian Germany and Italy
have STABLE Latin American coll
onies. but they're nothing to COM
pare with the SpanIshness Of those
republics That isn't true OF Brazil.
which is Portuguese but Brazils
largely Catholic. and that item
also enters into the equation.
Uncle Sam Worried
ne too soon for the state -
partment TO have sized up the
prospect very fully. but it's obvt-
ously worried.
Foreign Minister Ezequiel Pa
dilla Of Mexico made a speech the