Evening star., 1946-03-07
Aided Allies in War,
Spain Claims in Fight
To Save Franco Rule
Puris Calm Over Madrid
Order Boring Country
To French Nationals
By the Associoted Press

LONDON, Mar. Spain, fight
ing back against the movement
abroad for replacement of the
Franco regime, maintained today
that her government aided the
Allied powers during the war by
preventing Axis domination of
the Mediterranean, North Africa
and the Near East.
Hitler planned to enter Spain
January 10, 1941. We saw the in
tention of the two dictators to in
corporate Spain into the Axis and
so to dominate the Mediterranean,
and with it North Africa and the
Near East" the Madrid radio said.
THE one who prevented the
carrying out of these ambitious
plans was neither Great Britain
nor the United States of America.
The one who prevented 1t was Gen
eralissimo Francisco Franco" the
broadcast declared.
Spain did not want to enter and
did not enter the war, In spite of
all the coercion of the Axis powers,
with their troops on our frontiers,
ready to break in and march down
on Gibraltar"
Franco Attacks Russia.
Gen. Franco attacked Russia as
the worlds greatest tyranny in an
impromptu speech today opening a
new war museum in Madrid.
He did not mention the recent
declaration of the United States,
Great Britain and France against
his regime.
He asserted that the Spanish Civil
War had taught the failure of ''lib-
eralism" and said 1--WE are orienting
our policy to make a better social
justice" as the basis for the pros
perity of the people.
Gen. Frances appearance ID
downtown Madrid before the speech
set off one of the largest demon
strations seen in the capital in re-
cent months. Crowds encircled his
car and almost engulfed his guards.
With arms raised in salute, the
Falangists chanted Franco, Franco,
Franco" and Franco yes, Russia
no."
Paris Calm Over Retaliation.
Yesterdays Spanish order barring
all French nationals from Spain
and her possessions, a retaliatory
step against the French action last
week in closing the French-Spanish
border to commerce, was regarded
calmly in Paris.
French government circles said
the restriction did not change the
situation at ALL" since all inter-
course between the two countries
had been severed effectively by the
border closing.
The new restriction was contained
in set of drastic regulations, an
nounced by the Spanish Foreign
Office. The government also sus-
pended all private correspondence
and telegraphic communications be-
tween the two countries, barred all
exchange of merchandise and pho
hibited Spaniards from entering any
French territory.
Even foreigners, travelling by boat
from France or French territories,
were prohibited from disembarking
at Spanish ports, under the new
regulations.
Complete Break Urged.
The only interchange now per-
mitted will be foreign goods in tram
sit from, or going to, a third country,
non-French foreigners in transit to
Spain from France, diplomatic and
consular officials, and representa-
tives of the International Red
Cross and UNRRA.
The Spanish government in exile
continued to urge in Paris that the
Allied powers sever all relations
diplomatic and commercial - with
Spain, saying such action was the
only means of forcing Gen. Franco
from power
In Oslo, Foreign Minister Halvard
Lange told Parliament that the Nor
wegian government was as anxious
"as the Norwegian people" to break
with Franco Spain.
Spanish Embassy Denies