Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-26
Spain, Tending to Liberalism,
Seeks Voice in Peace Plans
United Nations, However, Cool Until Government
Ends Fascist Character - Relations
With u S. Held Excellent
By Joseph II. Baird.

Fl. Baird.
United Nations stand. Recently the
Spanish press has published number
Of attacks on Japan with particular
reference to Nippon's attempts to elm
mate the Spanish language in the
Philippines and its disregarded of Span
ish property rights there.
The United States has been able to
carry on propaganda work from Span
ish territory with virtually no interfer-
ence by the Madrid government
Spain has adopted other policies Of
still more direct aid to the United
States and Great Britain which, for rea-
sons Of military secrecy, cannot be re-
vealed at this time.
Needed U. s. Oil.
Naturally, the State Department real
ICES that these policies and actions Of
Spain did not result from Gen. frances
love of democracy or his devotion to
the United Nations cause. However,
they do constitute a realistic answer to
the question often raised by anti
Franco groups in this country as to why
Washington continues to maintain re-
lations with dictatorship
Spain has probably adopted these pol
icies for very good basic reasons It has
been, all along, dependent upon the
United States for oil, without which its
traffic and some of its industries would
have come to a halt Since German sea
power has been broken. Spain also has
been dependent on the favor of the
United States and Great Britain to al
low certain essentials such as wheat
and cotton to reach it through the
blockade. Moreover, American pre-
elusive buying at high prices in Spain
OF strategic materials such as wolfram,
mica and strontium used in military
fares to keep them out of German
hands has provided that country with
badly-needed foreign exchange.
Madrid's policies clearly showed that
Gen. Frances devotion to Nazi-Fascist
theology was not sufficiently strong to
restrain him from helping Germanys
enemies when it was to SPANS own In
terest to do so. So, despite the dislike
of the Falange dictatorship in Spain
which the State Department shares
with most of the American people, it
has been possible to maintain a work.
ing relationship with Spain which has
been mutually advantageous to both
sides.
Shifting Sentiment.
American officials have been hopeful
that the working of time plus i'm
provement in the economic condition Of
Spain would result in a gradual relax
alton Of the dictatorship and restora-
ton OF democratic processes. During the
last year. according to officials, there
has been trend in this direction. Gen
Franco has freed thousands OF political
prisoners and allowed many Loyalists
refugees to return. The censorship on
foreign news has been relaxed. The dis
missal Of Ramon Serrano Sumer, head
OF the Falange, as Foreign Minister and
his replacement by the late Francisco
Gomez Jordana Sousa as Foreign Min
lister ushered in period of increasing
friendliness toward the democratic
states which has been continued by
the present Foreign Minister, Felix de
Lequerica.
At the same time, following the
political eclipse of Serrano Suner, the
foreign branch of the Felange which
had been cooperating with German and
Italian agents in Latin America in 1941
and 1912 in anti United States propa-
ganda and espionage work, was ordered
by Madrid to cease this activity. OF.
ficials here are convinced that this order
has been generally obeyed and that al
though isolated Felangistos here and
there may be working against the
United States in Latin America they are
acting in defiance of Madrid and their
activities now are of little Importance.
All this adds up to a gradual but
definite liberal trend in Spain. The
movement has been slow and has at
tracted little attention. Franco is known
IN his country as "Paco Ellento," or
francisco the Slow" and he has justi-
fed this nickname
Within the last two weeks, however,
Gen. Franco, according to reports, has
become alarmed over the. possibility Of
counter-revolution inspired by Loyal.
list refugees in France. Recently the
Spanish National Union held meeting
at Toulouse which adopted six-point
program pledging a purge of Fascist
elements in the Spanish government
and army
At the time of the 1s36-1939 Spanish
revolution it was estimated that some
100000 Spanish Loyalists crossed over
the border into France. Their number
now IS much smaller. Many were cap
tured by the Nazis and sent to Ger.
many as slave labor. Some returned to
Spain. Others emigrated to Mexico and
the United States. It is now estimated
that there are about $4,000 exiled Span
ish Republicans In France.
Oficials here who are thoroughly
familiar with Spain do not believe that
these refugees can sponsor a success
ful counter-revolution without Cd the
aid OF some foreign state or ca wide
spread support within Spain. They rule
out the first possibility because the
Omitted States and Great Britain, the
only two countries which are miitarily
and geographically In position to aid
the Loyalists are determined not to mix
IN Spanish internal affairs. As to the
second, authorities believe that the
Spanish people are 30 war-weary that
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