LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
RECOGNISING FRANCO
Su,—It is difficult to know what Mr. Jones means, in The Spectator of January 14th, with his accusations of " powerful underground forces of reaction working towards Fascism," and his " pro-Francates " and " neo- Fascists " and all the slipshod modern jargon of " isms " and ideologies. He should, however, be accurate over his dates, which anyone can master. The year 1944, which he harps upon, saw Hitler's position desperate ; it saw Anglo-American forces advancing victoriously up to the Rhine and the Russians attacking continuously as they had throughout 1943. It was at any, period up to October-November, 1942, the dates of our victories of Alamein, the North African landing and Stalingrad, that a German occupation of Spain would have been so dangerous to us ; and we certainly owe Franco some gratitude for remaining neutral, although, doubtless, his motives were not altruistic. Mr. Jones evidently, by his letter, wishes to give all the credit to Russia. Surely our own forces and those of the U.S.A. are entitled to equal, or indeed to greater, credit for winning the war, taking all in all.
But what many people in this country cannot understand now about Spain is why so many apparently want to interfere with another country concerning its form of government. Why cannot Spain be allowed to run its own show ? To most people these " isms " mean nothing ; whilst the Iberian Peninsula might mean a great deal to us in the near future,—
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