Ambiguous Spain
Mr. Eden's strong statement on General Franco's recent provocative speech to the Falangist Party has rightly com- manded general approval. The Foreign Secretary pointed out forcibly that, so far from starving Spain, we are actually feeding Spain, but that we should certainly not be disposed to continue that if Spain's considered attitude was what General Franco's speech would suggest. An interesting sequel to this declaration is the statement published on Tuesday that Spanish assets in the United States had been " unfrozen " (it had not been known that they had ever been frozen) as the result of certain assurances given by Spain. It must be assumed that these assurances were satisfactory to Washington, and therefore to London, for the United States Government is in no mood to show indulgence to any country which it believes to be secretly playing Hitler's game. This development suggests—on the lines of an article from the Professor of Spanish at Liverpool on a later page—a possible explanation of the Franco speech, on the basis of a distinction between words and deeds. If the Spanish leader, in view of Spain's manifest and urgent need to keep clear of war, is secretly determined not to work for Hitler, he may consider it all the more politic to starve for Hitler. That is not an explanation that carries complete con- viction, but neither does any other. Meanwhile Mr. Eden's plain language is pertinent and proper.
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