Franco and Gibraltar
Sir: The SPECTATOR is quite wrong (14 June) in thinking that one needs a visa for Spain. Even if it were so, do you really think that a El() fine would stop the 21 million Britishers who holiday in Spain? As Spain devalued her currency when we did, it is the only country that the poor British can afford.
In the five years that the present govern- ment has been in power, Mr Wilson has gone out of his way to snub Franco. The Spaniards are a proud race and who can blame Franco for hitting back? Anyhow, it would be the people of Spain who would suffer if 21 million tourists from this coun- try did not go, not the government. It would be a sad day for our country if we were blamed for what the present government does! Many foreigners will not be able to afford holidays in Britain now that SET has put up hotel and restaurant prices so much, but everyone knows where the blame,lies.
As for Gibraltar, if Mr J. W. M. Thomp- son has not been there recently, he may not know how rich the Gibraltarians are. They have made fortunes since the war and do not need the £10 fine he would have us pay to them. The British taxpayer is already sending millions for aid abroad, without our being fined £10 to help the poor Gibral- tarians!
R. Hopkyn Hurstwood, Tunbridge Wells The suggestion was that the £10 would pay for the aid which we are already committed to giving to Gibraltar.—Editor, SPECTATOR.
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