Evening star., 1943-03-28

Recently WfleH UQlIlgS were going DdQly
for Gen. Eisenhower in the Tunisian
campaign, there were renewed reports
that Spain was about to come into the
war. That is one of Eisenhower's hanci-
caps in the African Nightingale must
look back over his shoulder at the
Spanish question mark.
The Spanish dictator, Francisco
Franco, sits on the American flank in
Spain proper and in Spanish Morocco.
Eisenhower, as would any responsible
commander, must keep a large number
Of troops immoblized against the very
real possibility that Spain might sud-
denly come into the war on the Axis
side. ~5.
book has just appeared which IS
headline news because it gives so many
facts about the Spanish enigma that
have hitherto been concealed by the
severest censorship in Europe This is
"Appeasement's Child" by Thomas j.
Hamilton, who for two and half years
after the civil war ended in Spain was
correspondent there for the New York
Times.
his stay in Frances Spain he could
not report because the censors would
not allow 1t. But he has told it all now
IN volume of paramount importance
for Americans today. What he tells
does not tend to confirm the State De-
partment's optimism in believing that
Franco can be bribed to stay out of the
war.
Ambitions Rest on Axis.
In TACT Hamilton expresses the view
that the department has been far too
eager to seize on the slightest straw
which would seem to indicate Franco
was about to shift his allegiance to the
democracies Thus when the dictator
dismissed his brother -in-law. Serrano
Suner, who had been Minister of For
elgn Affairs, it was taken here AS a
sign that Franco was turning away from
Hitler. But of the man who rules Spain
with an absolutism rivaling that of the
days OF feudal monorachy Hamilton saws:
His community of purpose with Hitler
ana Mussollnl has been strengthened by
the TACT that only the overthrow of
France, England and the United States
Will permit Frances regime to obtain
Its ambitions in Africa and Latin
America These ambitions are a part
OF Franco himself and were not wished
upon him by Serrano Suner or anybody
else. If the situation we're reversed,
If Germany and Italy were democraeies,,
and Fascism Wercsin cohtrol of England
bo Init toI k-x..t a
true, be pulled by divided loyalties, But,
In his view the road to Berlin leads to
both Fascism and empire, and I do not
believe that he could have been -ap-
peased in 1889; with the Nazis at
Hendaye Ton the Spanish border) there
is no possibility of making him loyal
convert now
Hamilton shows himself A careful re-
porter, little given to eXaggeration or
TO allowing his own opinions to inter-
fere with his presentation of what he
saw. Few Americans have realized how
far the State Department has gone in
trying to buy off Franco and the Spanish
censorship has kept back the often
curious results of that attempt.
The author describes the stoning of
the American Embassy by a gang of
Fascist students from the University
OF Madrid. When Alexander Weddeu
the Ambassador at that time. came out
to protest against the demonstration.
one of the students grabbed his arm
and tried to hold it up in the Fascist
salute while the others sang the party
anthem, Face to the Sun" When
Weddell broke away and started back
into the Embassy the stoning began,
He was not hit
Real Olive Branch.
For nearly a week Weddell was kept
waiting before he could see Franco. And
when he saw him, he offered him a loan
OF $lOO 100000 to be used for the acqusi-
ton OF wheat, gasoline, rubber, cotton,
instead of demanding an apology. The
only action ever taken by the Franco
government to make amends for the in
cident was to suspend the leader of the
Madrid University Fascist organization
Spain during the nearly four years of
Frances rule has been a land of misery
and fumbling government incompetence
Governments in Spain in the past have
hardly been noted for their sympathetic
and intelligent response to the peoples
needs. But this one, according to HAM
ilton, has deliberately gone out of the
way to keep alive the hatredS of the
civil war and perpetuate division and
disunity
He tells Of attending meeting of the
youth organization of the Falange
Spains Fascists, at which one member
said it was time to forget the hatreds of
the war and try to bring about a work.
ing unity in the interest of rehabilita-
ton of the country. Every succeeding
speaker denounced this suggestion. Such
a proposal, it was intimated must come
from Red and if its author was not
careful he would find himself outside
the. organization.
Thousands if not hundreds of thou
sands Of war prisoners are still in jails
or concentration camps. This is one
reason why Spain's productivity remains
20 low since many of these men are
skilled workers who fought ON the side
OF the Loyalists. For many months after
the end Of the war there were hundreds
of executions each week.
Premium on Spying.
Any one suspected of even remotely
sympathizing with the republic can be
denounced and put on blacklist which
makes employment all but impossible.
The system in Spain puts premium on,
spying and blackmail. In country
vnyhn hn h,,r0o 1,or A~1,