Evening star., 1941-11-25
Spain Refuses 10 Sign
Own Death Warrant
By Entering War
Franco Doubts if He
Could Control Fury
If Germany Invodes
By HENRY ]. TAYLOR.

MADRID. Nov. 25 by Wireless TO
N.ANAD.--It is peace or another
revolution in Spain. The over
whelming fact here is that Spain
must succeed i'll staying out Of the
present world war or any solution
for today's aftermath of her civil
war is hopeless.
! Whether or not Spain succeeds de-
pends partly on events yet to come.
but mostly on series OF undenlable
facts. Many of these facts differ
with our general impression III
America, but they are so evident In
the highest circles here that this
dispatch would appear to be series
of elementary truisms among
Spaniards if they read 1t in MADRID.
Actually, many of the most lnfiu-
ential men in Spain, inside and out
side the government, inside and out
side the church, and inside and out
side the army. have read it. Some
differed among their choices OF
emphasis but without a single ex-
ception, all agreed these facts to be
! true
Can't Support Germans.
| Can Generalissimo Francisco
Franco control the army? Prob
| ably. but not certainly. Franco has
/ always been able TO resist German
pressure whenever it came by saying
/ that his people were first OF all in
/ terested in the independence OF
! Spain and that if the Germans at
! tempted to come through Spain, he
| could not be responsible for the
/ action of the Spanish soldiers them
! selves. And certainly the Germans
would have to bring everything with
them. This population, which has
not had enough for itself, simply
will not peacefully feed and support
anv foreign troops Franco Is a
soldier, a recluse. He lives modestly
/ and austerely in the center OF
! Madrid. surrounded by his family,
! is seldom seen in any of the govern
ment offices and never in public. He
/ is unouestionablv the most lnde-
] pendent Spaniard in Spain, and that
! is saving a great deal. Franco Is an
excellent Spaniard.
Spain has 49 provinces, plus the
Balearic Islands Nobody. lnclud-
| ing Franco could deliver these IN
tenselv diversified peoples to Hit
Ter. and Hitler would have TO pac-
ifv them individually to take them
over for himself. The fundamental
/ Spanish characteristic is burning
/ individualism and a perfect willing
ness to fight at once with anything
| they have around the house.
Won't Close Straits.
| How about Gibraltar? You cam
/ not move the Rock of Gibraltar to
/ the narroWest point of the straits,
which is 20 miles west and bordered
on both sides by Spanish territory
| Cross fire from the Spanish gun
emplacements could and would rem
/ der the water uninhabitable and
close the straits at any time. But
! if Germany told Spain to shoot
Spain would be in the war and just
drop off the end Of her economic
/ anu SOIldl loOC- iliC lSdSoii tiioe
the Straits of Gibraltar are open
today is not a military limitation
at all. It is directly political
social matter Of Spains own policy
What is the British position in
Spain? Anglo Spanish relations
definitely are on the upgrade. Sir
Samuel Hoare. the most important
and influential Englishman on the
continent of Europe. is stationed
here. AS British Ambassador he
has made an immensely favorable
impression on the Spanish and Is
recognized as the focal point for the
entire British position on the Con-
tinent. Sir Samuel has mended
Enaland's fences in a most apt way.
With a background Of diplomacy
/ the world over. he knows the Span
ish people and their history init
mately, and he personally actually
is the source of British prestige in
Spain.
Aid Without Strings.
In a hundred quiet ways. Sir
Samuel has helped the Spaniards
help themselves, always without
strings. Next to Prime Minister
Winston Churchill's diplomatic sue
cess with the United States, stands,
by common consent. Sir Samuel
Hoare's accomplishments in Spain.
The Spaniards say that if any,
thing happens to Mr.. Churchill. Sir
Samuel must be the next Prime
Minister of England One phase
of Sir Samuel's job is to show the
non-belligerents on the continent
that there will be no German vic
tory in Europe and he is doing this
amazingly well. You can sense the
result of his work as far away as
Finland and Sweden and as near as
France.
What is the Spanish situation In
relation to North Africa and the
present British offensive there?
There is some nervousness that
Britain's North African campaign
may bring the Germans through
Spain, but the fact is that this is
crude, unavoidable route, and.
again, Spain cannot become involved
in this war and live.
The Spaniards are great fighters
and great haters. That is the in
ternal weakness and the external
strength of the Spanish position
in Europe today, and it determines
the accuracy of any speculation we
in the United States may make
about Spain's place in the bellig-
erent area and about Spains des-
tiny.