Evening star., 1949-01-30

that Barcelona's factories are now
averaging less than three working
days a week.
Workers are still being paid every
six days for seven days work, even
they work only three. Yet prices
have increased to such an extent
that a days wages will buy no more
than dozen eggs or three small
loaves Of bread.
Farms, for lack of fertilizer as well
as transportation, are producing less
and less food at greater and greater
cost.
Spain's hungry population-now
$1,000 000-has, meanwhile, increased
by 10 per cent. At the same time,
its productivity has declined, and
living standards are consequently
lower than at any time since the
civil war.
Regime Unlikely to Fall.
Are we justified in assuming that
the United Nations boycott will
hasten the collapse of the Franco
dictatorship?
Competent observers here are in
Eclined to doubt 1t. The Stain die
tatorship, in its prewar isolation,
survived even greater hunger than
that which faces the Franco die
tatorshfp today.
The history of the last 30 years
would seem to indicate that totali-
tartan regimes can be overthrown
only if they participate on the los
ing side of an international war.
But, even if they are overthrown.
there is no guarantee that they will
not be succeeded by other forms of
totalitarianism.
! Italy and parts of Germany and
Austria have escaped Communist to-
talitarianism in place of Fascist to-
talitarianism only because of Amer
ican, British and French military
intervention.
How to prevent such a develop
ment in Spain, country which is
vital, whether we like it or not, to
the future defense of Western
Europe?
All but two measures have been
military Intervention and eco
nomic cooperation.
|. i The time for military Intervention
has obviously passed. 1t should have
occurred. but didn't, in the closing
days of World War II.
All that remains to be tried is
economic co-operation.
Regardless of ones feelings about
Gen. Franco. it is evident that Spain,
like Portugal, is an integral and
important part of Western Europe.
The Iberian Peninsula, in fact, con-
tains a sixth Of its population.
How Western Europe can survive
the Soviet war of attrition without
forming closely knit federation 1t
is increasingly difficult to under
stand. 1t will certainly not increase
its chances of survival to doom the
Spanish people to slow starvation.
Do Business With Others.
We continue to do business with
all sorts Of relationships in Latin
America. We continue to do busi-
ness with Communist relationships
in Yugoslavia, Hungary and Czecho-
slovakia, and we even loan money
to the Communist dictatorship in
Poland.
We subsidize in Palestine q Jewish
state imposed by force on an un-
willing Arab populace in violation
of the principle Of self-determina-
ton.
The U. N. boycott Of Spain is a
cruel and stupid humbug that should
be Immediately abolished.
All the countries of Western Eu-
rope, including Spain, should be
constrained to form a political and
economic union In recognition of
the obvious danger that If they
don't hang together they will all
hang separately.
/ The Marshall Plan should be inn
mediately overhauled in order to CO.
ordinate the contradictory efforts Of
its individual beneflciaries to defend
themselves against the advancing
Soviet empire.
Spain should be offered Marshall
Plan assistance, under American
military and civilian supervision, on
such terms that the Franco govern
ment would be unable to avoid its
responsibilities.
Its responsibilities should include
gradual restoration Of civil lib
critics through a gradual transfer OF
power from the Spanish state to the
European federation.
1t would take time and money
and great deal of patient effort
to force the Spanish government to
accept and be accepted by the
Western union. Only the United
States could do it, and We could do
it only if we were willing to ignore
the storm of protest Qargely Soviet
inspiredD that would greet our effort