13 NOVEMBER 1942, Page 13

FURTHER SPANISH COMMENTARY SIR,—The personal issues raised by this correspondence

are of little importance or relevance. I must, however, point out that I did not impugn Professor Peers' consistency or good faith in the matter of his recent conversion to the Spanish democratic cause. I merely stated that his support of this cause was, in the circumstances, far more surprising than the fact of his having made a trivial error while defending it. The most sincere conversions on record have usually been the most astonishing.

Professor Pastor refers to my Spanish friends who advocated a British surrender after Dunkirk as " defeatists." I am now quite convinced that they were such in the sense that, like the vast majority of General Franco's Spanish supporters, they desired nothing more ardently than the destruc- tion of Great Britain and her Empire with all possible speed. Do we not frequently overlook the historical fact that Franco Spain is officially " non-belligerent," a passive ally (and not so very passive at that!) of Germany and Italy? The Franco regime has been quite open about all this and its leaders have, on more than one occasion, publicly expressed their desire to see a German victory. Such a desire on their part is perfectly natural, for the obvious reason that they are on principle violently hostile to democracy in any form whatsoever, and, consequently, detest Great Britain and all that she stands for in this struggle. The vested interests now behind the Franco regime adopted a very similar attitude

towards this country in the last war.—I am, &c., L. B. WALTON. Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh.