THE CONFLICT IN SPAIN [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—i should like to be allowed to reply very briefly to the points raised by Mr. Trevor Davies.
(1) The fact that the Morisco tradition and culture surviving in parts of Spain is partly resporisible for the " outrages against things Christian " does not on the face of it appear to justify champions of Christianity in enlisting Moorish forces against their fellow Spaniards. The Moors of Sparkish Morocco are, no doubt, concerned for the Government of " their country." But as willy-nilly subjects of Spanish rule perhaps they feel that 'Morocco and not the Bay' of
Biscay seaboard is their country." •• (2) Every atrocity provokes counter-atrocities, just as this civil war will sow the seeds of another. But to beghi the causal chain arbitrarily with the atrocities of the present Government is wholly illegitimate. My point in referring to Goya was simply that there is a strong current of testimony dating back for many generations to the cruelty and oppression exercised by the Spanish ecclesiastical systems against not only the Communists of today but the Liberals of 'the past- I would. not belittle the self-sacrificing social and •humane services carried out by the Church's organisations, though I believe it cannot be denied that even their hospital services have been carried out with a determined discrimination against non-Catholies. But such works of philanthropy cannot annul the evidence, on the other side ; and calmly to begin the tragic balance-sheet with the outrages of the present administration or its predecessor would be as -un- historical as to ignore the long tale of Cruelty and oppression by the French ancien regime in an explanation of the-atrocities of the Terror of 1793-94. - I wholly agree with Mr. Davies that the grievances' of Fascist (and for that -matter, of non-Fascist) States, (and even of oppressed- proletariats if such exist), should be settled with justice rather than by force. My reference to Gibraltar was merely an argumentum ad hominem directed to the British Imperialist who so oddly combines putting the Empire and its interests first with support of forces that are quite manifestly hostile to it. Those of us who are not Imperialists may feel that it is .greatly to ;be ,regreqed that :Gibraltar and other "-stategic " posiessions, whether ours or those of others, were not long ado internationalised...--Yours faithfully,
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