Evening star., 1946-04-12
Spanish Exile Regime
Charges Franco Has
His Troops Massed
BY the Assoeiofed Press

BY the Assoeioied Press
NEW YORK. April 12.-The
mounting controversy over the
Franco government in Spain.
which is expected to reach the
floor of the United Nations Sc
curity Council next week, was
swelled today by an exiled Span
ish Republican leaders, assertion
that GeneraliSsimo Franco has
100000 troops massed menacingly
on the French frontier.
DR.. Fernando de los Rios, former
dean of the University of Madrid,
one-time Spanish Ambassador to the
United States and pre-civil war
cabinet member. told a press con-
ference last night he had docu-
mentary proof of the existence In
Spain Of IAN aggressive spirit and
an aggressive plan against France. u
Spain now has an army superior
to that of France numerically, and
perhaps in the quality of armament,
too" said Dr. de los Rios, who ar
rived here from Paris Wednesday
as the eXiled Republican regimes
observer at the Security Council
sessions.
Hopes to Present Documents.
He expressed hope the document
to which he referred-supposedly
found in Spain by Republican agents
would be presented to the Coun-
Gil when it takes up Poland's charges
that Spain is threat to world peace
and that Franco is harboring Ger
man scientists experimenting on
new atomic weapons.
DR.. De Los Rios made his accusa-
tions against the Franco regime
only few hours after President
Truman had told a press conference
IN Washington that the Polish
charges were political. The Presi-
dent did not elaborate.
The Polish indictment was placed
on the Councils provisional agenda
last night for consideration next
week Immediately after Russia's de-
mandkfor dismissal of the Iranian
case il disposed.
A full hearing on the Spanish issue
is assured and at least four members
are expected to press for some means
of cracking down on Franco. They
are:
Mexico and Poland, the only
Council members recognizing the
Spanish Republican exiles in Paris
as a government: Russia, which
never has recognized the Franco re-
gime, and France, which acts as host
to the eXiled Republicans and is a
most-concerned neighbor of Spain.
individual Decisions Favored.
The United States and Britain. |
while willing to hear Poland's case.
are represented as favoring individ- |
ual decisions by each nation in re-
spect to relations with Franco as |
opposed to any concerted action.
DR.. De Los Rios said last night that
he already had laid his allegations
before the French government, had |
seen Ambassador Henri Bonnet. and
would talk with the other delegates
in turn.
He declared the exiled Republi-
cans in Paris believed severance of
diplomatic relations with Spain "by
all the United Nations collectively"
would bring about Frances down
fall. This, he said would be
starting point for further actions |
which might include economic sane |
tions.
DR.. De Los Rios said France had
given de facto recognition to the
Republicans as government by al
lowing them to operate on French
soil and said Frances regime en-
Joyed normal and full relations"
with but few countries.
The Spanish exile spokesman said
his secret document showed frances
army lis setting its eyes precisely on
Frances two borders"
Moscow Cites Army.
A Moscow broadcast recorded last .
night in London estimated Francois
army at 100000 men and echoed
DR.. De Los Rios assertion that more
than 100000 of these now are con-
centrated on the French frontier.
The broadcast also declared that .
there are now about $4,000 German
soldiers and officers in Spain" some
of whom have been used to quell .
partisan uprising" 1t added that !
Franco Spain is serving as a post /
war base of fasciSm, where tens of .
thousands of Hitlerites are hiding
and where German assets amount /
ing to hundreds of millions of dol /
lars are hidden"
Just how Dr. De Los Rios charges
might be laid before the Council was
uncertain, but it was speculated
that the French delegate might act
in his behalf.
Few Parallels Available.
The charges of Poland and Of DR..
De Los Rios, although mutually sup
porting the general case against
Franco. had few if any parallels in
detail. Dr. De Los Rios said he had
no first-hand knowledge of German
scientists working in Spain as al
legged by Poland in a note to the
Council suggesting these refugees
were making new and sinister
weapons under Frances protection
and promotion. !,
In this connection the State De-
partment said yesterday it has mo
information that German-owned
factories in Spain are working on
atomic research"
Michael j. McDermott, depart
ment press officer, also told report
ers that contrary to some published
reports, Secretary of State Byrnes
"has sent no instructions yet to
Edward R. Stettinius, jr., American
member of the Security Council, on
this country's policy toward Poland's
n,