Evening star., 1951-07-29
Defense Needs
Dictated Move
By Fred Theroux

euIly auO 1OICeluuy hammered
home by the Pentagon, brought the
decision to seek American air and
naval bases in Franco Spain. 1t
was a victory of strategy bver
politics.
Almost from the outset of the
cold war with Russia, United States
military leaders have worked quiet
ly and steadily to bring about
a relaxation In the official attitude
Of the Western Allies toward the
Franco regime-a relaxation which
would permit the inclusion of the
Spanish peninsula in the overall
plans for the defense of Europe.
The recent visit of the late Admiral
Forrest P. Sherman to Madrid rep
resented victory for these efforts.
That the Joint Chiefs of STAN
were able to present a strong stra-
tegic case for the move is under
lined by the fact that the decision
to make it was taken against the
settled opposition of our two most
important allies in the North At
lantic pact, Great Britain and
France.
Dislike Is Not Propaganda
The deep-seated dislike and dis
trust of Gen. Franco in Great Brit
ain, France, Belgium and the other
Western European democracieS is
very real. It is not, as has been
asserted, merely an emotional
prejudice of the extreme left wing.
It is not just a propaganda device
of the Communist minority. The
terrors of the Spanish Civil War
itself, and the memory of Spain'S
inglorious role during World War
II for which that civil conflict was
but a preview, left impressions
sharply etched on European popu-
lar opinion. An official reversal
now, at the behest of the United
States, can hardly be expected to
evoke much more than a feeling
of disillusionment from the peoples
of the West.
This situation has been in no way
mitigated by the astute Caudillo's
recently announced plans for alter
ing the basis of his government.
His new cabinet, the establishment
of which was widely heralded as
move toward pro democratic
policy, on second look appears to be
even more anti-democratic than it's
predecessor.
Obviously, the strategic consider
ations which prevailed against such
heavy political odds must be COM
pelling. What are they?
What the United States is asking
of Gen. Franco is the right to use
naval bases at Ell Ferrol, Cartagena
and Cadiz, and airbases probably
at Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona,
Seville and Lugo. Both El Ferrol, in
Northwestern Spain on the Atlantic,
and Cartagena, on the Mediterra-
mean, are admirably suited for fleet
anchorages-protected roadsteads-
large enough to permit the many
ships of a modern task force to ride
at anchor. The fleet anchorage, as
developed by the Navy in the Pacific
during World War II, is actually a
completely equipped floating naval
base, making elaborate shore in
StallationS unnecessary. Such an
chorages in Spain would provide the
United States Fleet with facilities
it now lacks in European waters,
and would be of tremendous advan-
tage in time of war.
Advantage in Sponish Boses
The proposed airbaSeS have even
more obvious value in plans for the
position of strength" being worked
out for the defense of Europe. The
United States already has, in North
Africa, several important bases for
long-range bombers. From these
bases, heavy bombers can reach
vital targets in the Soviet Union.
But, in the event of a Soviet attack
on Western Europe, the African
bases could quickly come within
range of Red planes, with conSe-
quent lessening Of their offensive
value. The proposed bases in Spain,
located as they are between France
and North Africa, would be of in
calculable advantage not only as
protective fighter bases for the
North African fields, but as inter
mediate bases suitable for offensive
operations of light and medium
bombers.
Perhaps most important of all,
from a strategic standpoint, is the
role that Spanish bases, both air
and naval, can play in the decisive
control of the Mediterranean. If
strategy dictates that control of the
Mediterranean is essential to any
successful defense of Western Eu-
rope, it necessarily dictates first of
all that control of our entrance to
the Mediterranean is paramount
Spain controls both sides of the
Straits of Gibraltar. American air
and naval bases in Spain could
mean the possession of the keys to
the Straits.
These are but a few of the basic
Considerations which brought about