Evening star., 1942-12-10
Franco Speaks Up

address before the Falange National
Council seemingly amounts to an
open declaration that his regime
continues to be lined up ideologically
with Italy and Germany. 1t should
be read together with his recent con-
gratulatory message to Adolf Hitler.
The two documents clearly define
the attitude Of the Caudillo and his
followers who now rule Spain.
Franco repeats in condensed form
the general thesis advanced by
FasciSts everywhere, and claims to
be riding "the wave of the future" 4"
AS he puts it: "All contemporary
events show us we are witnessing
the end of one era and the begin
nings of another; that the liberal
world is going down a victim of it's
own errors, and with it are disap-
pearing commercial imperialism, f.
nancial capitalism, and mass unem-
ployment. The happiness promised
by the French Revolution became
nothing but barter business, compe-
tition, low wages, and mass inse-
curity" The present war, he con-
tlnueS, Is Fastening the bankruptcy
of our liberal, democratic order,
leaving the world choice only be-
tween Communism, the brute force"
which would destroy everything in
its path" and that Fascist "Synthesis
between national and social forces"
differing somewhat in each country,
from which he and his Falange
movement have evolved Spanish
solution"
In all this philosophizing there is
nothing new. Franco himself has
said it many times before. The in
teresting question is why he said it
at this particular time. And that is
susceptible of diverse interpreta-
tions. Franco goes out OF his way
to emphasize his theological opposi-
ton to America, Britain and the
other liberal, democratic members of
the United Nations. But he does
not state or imply an intention to
abandon his policy of neutrality and
enter the war against them, as he
is already waging undeclared war
against Soviet Russia through his
volunteer Blue Division" fighting on
the eastern front. This distinction
was emphasized in his recent mes
sage to Hitler, when he congratulated
the Fuehrer on his victories over
Communism but made no reference
to Hitler's other enemies. Spain
thus occupies a position toward the
world war analogous to that Of Rus
sia itself, which fights the European
members of the Axis but maintains
neutrality with Japan.
Frances most specific statement
on foreign policy was that made not
long ago when he stated that he
would fight any one who invaded
Spanish territory and would seek as
sistance from the other side to aid
in his defense. At the time, this was
generally interpreted as warning
to the Axis not to violate Spanish
neutrality. Does his speech last
Tuesday foreshadoW a change in
foreign policy? Semi-off1cial Lon
don spokesmen are reported as say
ing that Frances remarks are mere
Zip service" to the Axis, perhaps
made under diplomatic pressure, and
that Spain probably will remain neu-
tral. Interestingly enough, the Rome
radio interpreted the speech as en-
phasizing that Spain was against no
one and no one was against Spain.
Berlin is vaguely laudatory. Wash
ington officially maintains reserved
silence.
The known facts are that Spain
is in no condition to wage effective
war on a large scale, that the i'm
poverished and hungry Spanish peo-
pie cling pathetically to their neu-
trality, and that Spain can hope for
economic assistance only from the
United Nations. Were Franco to
plunge his country deliberately into
the world conflict, this act would be
so enormously unpopular as to risk
a popular uprising, especially with
Allied assistance, that would again
plunge Spain into civil as we'll as
foreign strife All this, Franco knows
we'll. What remains doubtful is his
ability or will to offer more than
token resistance to an Axis invasion.
Perhaps the course of the campaign
in North Africa will afford a clue.