Evening star., 1948-07-25

vent of war with Russia.
on our relations with these two
ave been the targets of a relentless
his cooperation with no strings
attached.
/ Our poor relations with the Span
ish government also are made in
Moscow" The American Govern
ment in 1899 hastened-with almost
the same speed that it showed in
recognition of the State of Israel
to extend official recognition to Gen.
Frances government after the COL
lapse of the Republican regime.
! Within 48 hours the State Depart
ment sent Freeman Matthews-noW,
American Minister to Sweden, but
at that time Secretary of Embassy
in Paris-to Gen. Frances headquar-
tiers at Segovia He was given six
hours to pack his striped trousers
and take over as Charge d'Affaires
for the United States at the seat OF
the new regime. The officials OF the
Embassy attached to the fallen
Madrid government - who were
known to be sympathetic to that
regime-were quickly ordered to
other posts or recalled to Wash
ington.
Stains Plan Opposed
Despite the pressure of manu-
factured public opinion in this
country, the American Government
maintained friendly relations with
the Franco regime throughout
World War II. 1t was only in 1916
that this Government. allegedly
obeying a resolution by the United
Nations Assembly, ceased to main
tain an Ambassador in Madrid,
leaving the Embassy in charge OF
minor officials.
This reporter can disclose for the
first time-from an unimpeachable
source who attended the Potsdam
Conference-how the U. N. As~, m
bly, was maneuvered into ~ sing
that resolution.
Prime Minister Stain, who was
on his best behavior at Potsdam,
raised the question Of Spain and de-
manded from President Truman
and Prime Minister Churchill-hiS
dear friends and associates that
an end be put to the Franco regime.
1t was evident to all who were
present at the closed session that an
economic blockade unquestionably
would cause a revolution in Spain.
Both President Truman and Mr.
Churchill opposed Mr.. Stalin's sug-
gestion. They maintained that after
all the Franco question is matter
for the Spanish people to decide by
themselves, and it was not up to
the Allies.
Pressure Put on DELEGATES
Mr.. Stain became ugly and
threatened to disrupt the whole
conference. Finally after lengthy
discussion he yielded to the for
mula presented by the western pow
ers, to withdraw their chiefs OF
mission from Madrid as an indica-
ton of their disapproval of Ell
Caudillo. But in order to make
this measure more spectacular, and
not to have it appear as move BY
the Big Three alone, it was agreed
that the matter should be sub
mitted to the U. N. Assembly and
sufficient pressure should be put
on the smaller countries delegates
to put it through.
When the Assembly met a year
later the whole thing had been well
organized and the resolution to
withdraw the ambassadors and min
listers of all members was approved
The Argentine alone defied the edict
engineered by the Big Three, and
sent a new Ambassador to Madrid
few months after the United Ma
tions had communicated Spain.
The U. N. decision boomeranged
in Spain as much as the attempt to
defeat Gen. Peron had done. The
Spanish people, who had begun to
think things over in the spring and
summer of 1916 and wanted to get
rid of Gen. Franco, rallied around
the head of their government. All
the plans engineered by the sup
porters of Don Juan, the pretender
to the Spanish throne, with the
quiet help of the British were aban-
(See BROWN. Page C-5)