Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-17

4CCOlIls SCH. CIdIlCO . CUuI st
was a meeting this month in
Munich, Germany. Some of
those who attended say this
was a move to unity opposition
against Gen. Franco. Even a
segment Of the Falange, which
brought Gen. Franco to power,
was represented.
Spain has not had a king |
since Alfonso XIII abdicated
in 1881. For is years, Gen.
Franco has sponsored meas
ures to restore the monarchy
under his terms. The pretender
to the throne is Alfonso's son
Juan but attention has focused
mainly on a grandson. Juan
Carlos, who recently married
Princess Sophie of Greece.
Old-line monarchits linked
with Pretender Juan deny the
Munich meeting represented a
move by monarchists to join
forces with socialists, leftists
and others just short of out
right Communists, to speed up
q possible takeover from Gen.
Franco.
I'VE feel this meeting has
done possibly irreparable dam
age to the cause of the mon
archy in SPAIN" said one
spokesman for this group.
Franco Backed Return
Earlier Gen. Franco endorsed
the return Of q king for Spain.
providing the monarchy agreed
to q continuation of his own
type of regime. The move at
Munich may well invalidate
this endorsement. Where does
that leave us now?"
Most of us favor the seat
ing Of Don Juan on the Span
ish throne, and in fact we re-
gard him even today as our
king" an old monarchist in
Madrid observed. But Franco
seems to want Prince Juan Car
los as the next Spanish king,
and now even the Falange
seems to have entered the area
with its own pet candidate
the Carlist pretender Xavier"
This was reference to leaf
lets, attributed by many to the
FalangistS, indorsing Xavier
Bourbon. a descendant of the
last Carlist king of Spain.
Men close to Gen. Franco
believe. however. that he plans
no abrupt change.
Likely the Caudillo will let
those monarchists who played
at politicians sweat a while, :"
said one man who claims to
know Frances thinking.
'Then he viii give them slap
on the wrist and tell them to
behave themselves if they ever
want to have another Spanish
king to bow down to-"
No Serious Threat
Despite the spread of the
representation at the Munich
meeting, there is doubt it rep
resented a serious threat t.
continuance of the regime Gen
Franco has headed for a quar-
ter Of a century. His govern
ment quickly issued a decree
permitting the exile of partici-
pants. or assignment of then
to certain areas.
A greater danger may lie II
the continued infiltration o.
Spanish Communists intC
whatever activities are at.
tempted against Gen. Franco
The Communists continue II
operate despite Is continuou
years Of suppression and pros
ecution. They get financial anC
political support outside Spain
especially from the parties il
France and Italy. They pre-
sumably have bored into man,
labor and political groups, bu
they hesitate to act on thei
own for lack of support anon
even the poorest people.
1.-THE Spaniards who hat
Franco worst hate the Com
munists more" one veteran pc
litical observer says.
What are Gen. Frances pros
poets If all elements opposin
him unite?
Army Backs Franco
They are still good, say thos
here who claim to know.
1.-THE army today is solid
behind Franco" said one OF
ficer. They have not forgotte
that in recent years they hay
received three substantial pa
boosts. And the Catholi
Church never enjoyed the &C
vantages under even the Cath
Ole kings of Spain that it hs
under Franco"
A series of bombings hi
taken place recently and o.
ficials call this disturbing.
could result in violent real
ton. But if there is a Seriol
threat to Franco today it ms
be more economic than poll
ical.
Imitation is developing" sat
one economist. 1T is reflects