[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR,—Your readers owe a
debt of gratitude to Professor Albert Bayet for his letter in your issue of September 9th. The Pyrenean frontier is recognised today by many Britishers as an important factor in the struggle between the Democratic and the Dictator Powers. It should never have been closed while Germany and Italy were pouring munitions and personnel into insurgent Franco Spain.
The closure of this frontier is giving direct help to Hitler and Mussolini who have murdered non-intervention, which is now unilaterally applied to gravely handicap Republican Spain in its courageous stand against tyranny. Putting all sentiment aside (and a so-called " civil war " where peasants and industrial workers are opposed by a dictator backed by
Moors and supported by dictators is liable to arouse a senti- mental sympathy in freedom-loving Britain) it is our interest to weaken dictator Powers where and when we can.
If the Pyrenean frontier was reopened and a few technicians and pilots and munitions and aircraft rushed through there is little doubt that not only Franco but Germany and Italy also would be seriously inconvenienced. Indeed there is little doubt but that the war would be speedily ended by the defeat of these three dictators. By keeping the frontier closed we are helping our enemies to hurt ourselves. Has history ever before given such an example of political folly ?
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