Crisis in Spain The causes of the fall of Senor
Samper's Government in Spain are much less obscure than the probable outcome. The Prime Minister, who took office in succession to Senor Lerroux at the end of April, depended on a pre- carious coalition of disunited groups for his majority, and when the largest of the groups, the Catholic Right, under the leadership of Settor Gil Robles, withdrew its support, out of dissatisfaction with the Government's weak handling of the Catalan and Basque autonomy movements, the fall of the Ministry was inevitable. At the moment of writing, Senor Lerroux, entrusted by President Zamora with the task of forming a new Government, is still continuing his efforts. But the real question is whether civil war can.be avoided. Rela- tionS between Socialists and Right have very nearly reached breaking-point, and the Socialists are well organized add armed. There is, -of course, also a con- siderable Communist element in Spain, and that produces its inevitable reply in the form of Fascism of a certain type at the other extreme. The Republican regime in Spain is once more in extreme peril. Only a combina- tion of Agrarian, Clerical and Radical forces—which would infuriate the Socialists—could achieve stability, and prospects of such a combination taking lasting shape are not bright. * * * *
