The Alternative
Granted that the Franco regime is detestable, what are the chances of getting rid of it and what will succeed it? These questions are closely related since upon how and when the regime come to an end depends the form and the chances of success of its successor. Provided that the army remains loyal, the modern police State cannot be overthrown by a mass rising of the people. Modern weapons have ruled out that solution. There remains, apart from assassination, only economic collapse. Left to itself the Fcanco regime would have ended through bankruptcy in the early Fifties and again in the last few months. On the first occasion it was saved by America alone and on the second by America and the OEEC coun- tries. The sole means of removing the dictator and his odious apparatus and associates have thus been blocked by the democracies. And this has been done, by the Americans at least, in the name of fighting for freedom.
It is difficult to know how valuable militarily are the five major American bases in Spain. But they were not fully operational much, if at all, before the beginning of 1958, and guided missiles will have made them obsolete by 1963. Whether their military usefulness outweighs the damage to the American reputation elsewhere in the world and the revelation of American hypocrisy about freedom and democracy is at least doubtful. The difficulties in which this mesalliance involves the US were demonstrated during President Eisen- hower's recent visit to London. In his television talk with Mr. Macmillan the President said that 'freedom was an imperative' for the West; the next day he received the Foreign Minister of his ally Franco.
Whatever the effects of American policy else- where, they have been dismal in Spain. Anti- Americanism is as general and as strong as anti- Francoism. Some of this is due to the inevitable incidents between American servicemen and the local population, but most of it is due to the know- ledge that as much as the Spanish army the United States Government is responsible for the present existence of the Franco regime. It would be hard to think of a better reason for un- popularity.
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