Words Against Spain
The United Nations have, one way and another, wasted a lot of time over Spain. As long ago as June a Security Council sub- committee discussed that country at length and reached the only possible conclusion—that whatever the conditions in Spain were, they constituted no threat to the peace of the world and therefore provided no ground for any action by the United Nations. Incon- trovertible though that contention manifestly is, the whole question has been raised again at the General Assembly, with the same abortive results. Senator Connally, for the United States, used the customary strong language about General Franco, to the extent of very question- able incitement to the Spanish people to rise against him, but he was quite clear that the United States could at present take neither military nor economic action against Spain. Sir Hartley Shawcross took the same line rather more emphatically, and sounded a salutary note of caution against any attempt by the United Nations to inter- vene in the domestic affairs of any country. Canada was still more reserved, urging, with undoubted wisdom, that the only question to be considered was whether it would be to the advantage of the general activities of the United Nations for Spain to become a member. There is little doubt that it would, and that this would be the best way of bringing political influence, as distinct from pressure, to bear on Spain. Mit the prejudices of Russia and her satellites, where there is certainly not more political freedom than in Spain, and probably less, are too strong for any such move at present.
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