The Italians in Spain In General Franco's Christmas offensive on
the Catalonian front the spear-head is said to have been a special corps of four Italian or Italianised divisions under an Italian officer ; and the very outstanding part played throughout by Italian soldiers and airmen is not disguised but trumpeted by the Italian Press. At a time when Government Spain has dis- missed all its foreign troops, and the Non-Intervention Committee's proposals involve similar action by General Franco, he is in fact making more use of foreign, i.e., Italian, troops than he had done for a long while. Presumably the object of his backer, Signor Mussolini, has been to harvest as much hay as he can while the sun shines—that is, before Mr. Chamberlain comes to discuss the question at Rome. The larger the gains that General Franco can register in the interval, the more impressive will be the faits accomplis with which the Italian Dictator can confront the British Prime Minister. The trick, like so many that have preceded it, is a very transparent one ; but since those were suffered to succeed, why should not this ? Meanwhile, at the time of writing, the Republican forces, though driven out of their original positions, are fighting doggedly and selling the ground at a high price. It still looks as if the Italians could not win by fighting only, and the vital issues will be those of blockade and famine. Here nearly everything must turn eventually on the attitude of the British Government.
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