Evening star., 1946-04-14
Poland and Mexico
To Oppose Accepting
Franco S Probe Bid
BY the Associoted Press

and Mexico indicated today they
were prepared to fight the
Franco suggestion that friend
ly" powers in the United Nations
investigate charges that Ger
man scientists are working on
the atomic bomb in Spain.
1t still was too early to tell
whether they would win enough sup
port in the Security Council to de-
feat the proposal, but some dele
gates expressed the belief privately
that it would be rejected because of
the limitations laid down by Gen.
eralissimo Franco.
Late dispatches from Madrid in
dicated, however, that Spain had no
intention of bringing her proposal
formally before the council. This
would take it out of the councils
hands unless some third party
brought the invitation before the
United Nations, of which Spain Is
not a member.
Conditions Specified.
Such third party, sources close
to the council pointed out, could be
a nation with friendly relations"
with Spain, which considered the
blanket invitation issued by the
Franco cabinet sufficient to warrant
an investigation.
Three conditions were specified in
the Spanish communique issued in
Madrid last night:
l. The commission must be made
up Of representatives of nations
with which Spain maintains friend
ly relations.
2. 1t must limit its activities to
visiting manufacturing establish
ments and experiment stations to
ascertain the truth or falsity of
the atomic bomb charges.
3. 1t must agree to give ample
publicity to the results.
Soviet Objection Likely.
Most of the delegates were reluc-
tant to commit themselves on the
question pending receipt of the
official invitation from Spain, but
informed quarters expressed the
belief that Russia was likely to
object strenuously to these con-
ditions.
The British and American delega-
tlons, although not opposed to
sending commission to Spain,
were represented as feeling that
the council should not limit the
scope of the investigation to the
atomic bomb question alone.
Under the Franco limitations, six
OF the II nations on the Security
Council would not be permitted to be
represented on the commission.
France, Russia, Poland, Mexico,
China and Australia do not main
tain diplomatic relations with the
Franco government
A spokesman for the Polish dele
CATION described the invitation as "a
typical Franco trick" He said the
Council could not permit Franco to
dictate" what kind of a commission
it should send.
A Mexican spokesman, expressing
similar view. declared the terms
laid down in the communique were
Unacceptable" to Mexico.
Atom Not Basic Problem.
Spanish republican circles in New
York, said ''the atomic bomb ques-
ton is not the core of the Spanish
issue" and added that 1t would be
worthless to investigate that ques-
ton alone.
These circles said Frances state
ment was IAN attempt to draw
public opinion away from the basic
problem" which was stated last
night by Fernando de Los Rios,
Republican representative.
De Los Rios indicated in his
statement that he believed the
major issue was mobilization of
Spanish troops. He said secret
document showed that Franco now
had 100000 troops aligned on the
closed French-Spanish border.
1t appeared unlikely that the Sc
curity Council would reach the
Spanish question Monday. The
Iranian issue is ahead of 1t on the
provisional agenda which will be
taken up at 3 pm. Monday. Russia
has proposed dropping of the IRAN
ian case from the agenda without
waiting until the May 6 date pre-
viously fixed by the Council for
hearing reports on Soviet troop