Evening star., 1948-08-31
The Spanish Succession

The agreement arrived at between Gen.
eralissimo Francisco Franco and Don Juan
de Bourbon, claimant to the throne, is note
worthy for It's effects both on Spain's in
ternal evolution and on It's position in the
world.
This first meeting between the Spanish
place under dramatic circumstances. Two
yachts bearing the principals rendezvoused
at spot on the high seas, outside Spanish
territorial waters. Don Juan was received
on Francois yacht with regal honors and
then proceeded to business. As yet, we
have only the Spanish official side of the
story, which high lights the fact that Don
Juan agreed to send his son and heir
presumptive, the Prince of the Asturias, to
Madrid where he will begin his high school
studies this autumn.
That, on the face of 1t, Is a resounding
triumph for Franco. The presence on
Spanish soil of the 10-year old Prince Juan
Carlos will be trump card for the Cen
eraliSsimo and his regime. But it is most
improbable that Don Juan made this vital
concession without far-reaching compen-
sation. Not until we have the pretenders
side of the story will we know the precise
terms Of the bargain.
restoration of the monarchy has been
implicit ever since the triumph of the
Nationalist movement which overthrew the
republic at the close Of the civil war in
1899. The Nationalist regime headed by
Francisco Franco represented a complex
combination of elements, including not
only the monarchists by conviction but
also national-socialist groups whose aim
was an authoritarian cooperative state
similar to that of Fascist Italy, to whom
the Crown was merely symbol, acceptable
only If 1t served their own ends But Don
Juan and the genuine monarchists had
no wish to compromise the Crown by
making it national-socialist tool, and this
disinclination was strengthened by the
collapse of the Axis in World War II and
the ticklish position for the Franco regime
which that involved On the other hand,
Don Juan and his advisers realized that
only through an agreement with Franco
could the monarchy be restored, while a
restoration Of the republic would be fatal
blow to their hopes.
A1AS oPoAASe AAoS UOC1L u AoAAS oC11CS VI
semisecret negotiations between the two
parties, conducted over period of years.
The tipof that an agreement was in pros
pect came a few months ago when the
Spanish Cortes or Parliament proclaimed
that monarchy was the historical and
natural form of government for Spain, but
that Franco continued to be the chief of
state for life, though with power to desig-
nate his successor should he decide to
retire from office.
A logical inference to be drawn from
this high-seas conference is that some time
In the not-too-distant future, the Prince
OF the Asturias will be proclaimed King.
II this should occur before his legal coming
OF age, there could be some sort of re-
gency, wherein the father, Don Juan, and
Franco would both play prominent roles.
Such monarchical restoration would
greatly improve Spain's international posi-
ton, giving the new government stamp
OF legitimacy which Frances nationalist
regime has never possessed. Presumably
1t would likewise tend to stabilize spain's
internal situation, provided the govern
ment were on broader base than now
exists. The agreement just concluded thus
appears to be a constructive step in Spains
national evolution.