Evening star., 1941-05-04
Spain in the BuIunce


further revealed in a speech by it's
Foreign Minister, Ramon Serrano
Suner, before rally of the ruling
Falangist party held to celebrate the
uprising against the French invasion
during the Napoleonic wars.
With Spain today under German
diplomatic pressure and repeatedly
already infiltrated by German troops,
an historic parallel might easily
have been drawn most unf1attering
to Napoleon's successor as the would
be master of the continent. How
ever, such was emphaticalIy not the
theme OF Senor Suner. On the con-
trary, he vigorously attacked the
"pluto-democracies" and asserted
that Spain was conducting her for
eign policy to preserve her honor
with friendly nations" The pluto
democracieS mean the British En-
pire and the United States, while the
reference to friendly nations can
mean only the Axis powers. De-
spite the fact that Spain has been
saved from mass starvation this past
winter chiefly through British food
credits, a benevolent Interpretation
of naval blockade restrictions and
American aid, Suner described the
democracies as having denied Spain
"everything and now are trying to
pretend that they want to save u.s."
To be sure, the Falangist orator
did not disclose just what he and
General Franco had in mind Yet he
declared that rejuvenated Spain is
always ready again to pick up the
halberd and defend this liberty
against those who for over 200 years
oppressed her" BY and large, this
speech by the director of Spain's for
eign policy can be interpreted only
as an anti-British and pro-Axis dec
laration. 1t thus tallieS with recent
reports that the Franco government
was inclined to play the axis game
whenever the German high command
thought the time was ripe for drive
through the Iberian peninsula
against Gibraltar and across the
Straits into North Africa
AS part of the same general picture,
recent press dispatches from various
sources indicate increased German
pressure on Vichy to cooperate"
with the Axis in such ways as per-
mitting German troop movements
through unoccupied France to Spain,
use of French Mediterranean ports
and facilities in French North Africa.
The Vichy government seems to be
resisting these demands, not only
through principle but also because
such flagrantly unneutral conduct
presumably would bring British re-
prisals. Air bombardmentS, for in
stance. might shatter French ports
and disrupt already restricted rail
communications, thereby causing
great hardships on the hard-pressed
civilian population. Nevertheless,
Germany's stranglehold on Vichy is
SO tight that it is difficult to see what
the French government could do II
Berlin faced it with an ultimatum.
Meanwhile, Britain's threatened
fortress of Gibraltar is getting ready
for trouble and seems capable of CIV
ing plenty to an attacker. In fare
we'll broadcast, General Give Liddell,
its departing governor, announced
defiantly: Il do not intend to give
an opinion on the impregnability of
the Rock. Let Hitler send his ma
rauders and bandits and find out!"
Although the harbor of Gibraltar
would probably become untenable as
a naval base under the bombardment
of long-range heavy artillery, the
Rock itself should be hard nut to
crack. Britain has been preparing
intensiyely ever since the start of the
war, and Gibraltar is presumed to be
heavily garrisoned and amply sup
piled. Perhaps the world may wit
ness another epic siege like that of
the eighteenth century, when its
heroic defenders withStood the COM
bined might of France and Spain.