Evening star., 1950-04-09


matter of leasing airbaseS from
modern equipment. About 90 per
cent Of its equipment is anti
ouated. 1t has few tanks any
other country would have sent to
the junk heap years ago.
1t lacks completely motorized
transport. It's planes are mostly
death traps and no sane man
would send them of to oppose
foreign air force which had MOTH
ms better than World II planes.
There is no efficient radar and
Spanish antiaircraft is still OF the
earliest type,
High Defense Value
Even in this day wars are
fought by human beings and not
by machines alone. Even II We
managed to rush TO Spain at the
last minute all the equipment it
needed, 1t would take many
months before Spanish soldiers
could learn to handle modern
weapons. Personal courage and
enthusiasm do not make a man
proficient in handling arms which
are completely unknown to him.
Top military men OF the West
ern Union have emphasized the
fact that Spain offers the best
point at which to resist the Soviet
avalanche If Moscow decides 10
strike before Western forces have
been completely organized and
succeeds in overrunning most Of
Western Europe.
/ If the Russians were to attack
this year they could reach the
English Channel in less than a
month. If Spain belonged to the
western coalition it could offer
the best terrain for resistance. II
could become an effective beach,
head for our forces II strategy re-
quireS that we assume the counter
offensive in Europe.
Some strategists consider the
Pyrenees and the other mountain
ranges north of Madrid as an
impregnable natural fortress, even
In these days when natural bar.
rlers often are only temporary OBJ
stacleS.
But Spain is vulnerable II a
Russian parachute force, taking
advantage of the complete lack
OF aeyial defense in that country.
were to land south of Madrid and
establish bases there from which
to advance on Gibraltar. thus
closing the Western entrance TO
the Mediterranean. The Spanish
Army with its 100000 men on ac-
tive duty could not prevent three
Soviet paratroop divisions from
taxing possession Of the plateaus
south of Madrid.
1t appears that the Spanish
general staff. which Western gen.
erals regard as an able group of
men, does not contemplate. at this
time at least, any large scale Or
ganization OF all its forces. To
arm the whole of SPANS trained
manpower-estimated at two mil
lion men If the reserves are in
cluded-would take much more
than the United States possibly
could produce now for the rearm-
ament of all of Western Europe.
Needs Are Modest
The Spanish general staff Is
said to be modest in its REQUIRE
ments. Taking for granted that
the main menace to their country
IN the event of a Russian blitz
would be the easy access of Soviet
airborne divisions to the Spanish
plateaus, all it contemplates at
present is the organization of a
small but highly efficient mobile
force. Such an army need not bs
larger than $4,000 or 10000 men.
But it must be equipped with fast,
medium sized tanks, 1t must be
entirely motorized and provided
with the latest type of anti
aircraft guns. heavy machine
guns and radar.
The air defense of Spain could
be provided from our bases in
North Africa or Great Britain. as
we'll as from aircraft carriers
which we could rush to the At
lantic and the Mediterranean.
The cost of equipping such a
defensive force is estimated at
less than $400 million and would
be a good investment If made In
time.
Unlike France and 1taly-whers
American war material is accept
ed with pleasure by government
leaders and military officers but
with little warmth by most of the
people-the Spanish people would
be overwhelmingly enthusiastic
and grateful for what we send
them.
Psychological Points
The wounds of civil war In
Spain have been completely
healed. According to American
military men who have had the
opportunity to study the Spanish
military question, there is no IF"
about the Spaniards being willing
to fight the Red armies. There
will be no need to introduce
American military equipment sur-
reptitiously into Spain.
Spaniards do not engage~in the
kind of reasoning which this re-
porter heard on a recent trip to
Western Europe: Suppose the
Russians take over, what will
happen? We shall have a Com
munist government imposed on
us. But after a generation. or
even less, things will improve.
This surely is preferable to hav-
ing our towns and historical
monuments docfroyed by the air