Spanish Rumours In the last week Spain has given rise
to a variety of rumours, some contradictory ; they are serious enough, how- ever, for the French Ambassador, Marshal Petain, to return to Paris to report on the situation to his Government. Large numbers of Spanish troops are said to have been massed at Santander, 8o miles from the French frontier ; new detach- ments of Italian troops are reported to have arrived at Cadiz ; General Franco's signature to the Anti-Comintern Pact is said to have been accompanied by a promise to place Spanish ports at the disposal of Germany and Italy in event of war, and may be followed by a military alliance. There have been unconfirmed reports that Italian troops have been leaving Spain ; but these conflict with the official Italian ex- planation that their troops will not leave until General Franco's triumphal entry into Madrid, which has now been postponed until next month. Marshal Petah' has not been able to give a reassuring report to his Government ; it seems clear at least that Signor Mussolini means to delay carrying out his promises to withdraw his troops until the last possible moment, and as yet there is no sign of the desertion of the Axis by General Franco so confidently predicted in this country. Indeed, if he attempted to do so, his allies have a powerful instrument for preventing him in the rapidly increasing strength of the Falangist movement.
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