The Neutrality of Spain
Among all the uncertainties of the European situation the attitude of Spain naturally attracts considerable attention. All the indications are that General Franco's government is con- vinced of the importance of maintaining strict neutrality. It is of course conceivable that someone other than General Franco might determine Spain's destiny ; a report has been published that Herr Hitler has assured Signor Musso- lini that at the proper moment he will overthrow General Franco and bring Spain into the war on the Axis side. But that is likely to be quite beyond Hitler's power, despite the presence in Spain of disconcertingly large numbers of Germans. Germans, however, endear themselves no more to Spaniards than they do to anyone else, and Catholic Spain is as much revolted as the rest of the world at the pagan barbarities perpetrated by the German armies. It is obvious that what Spain most needs is a period of unbroken peace to enable her to rebuild her national life, and there is no reason to doubt the assurances her government has given to France that neutrality represents her fixed policy. Since Portugal is animated by the same resolve, there seems good reason to believe that the Iberian peninsula will remain outside the con- flict, despite all the efforts of the Axis Powers to drag it in. The clamour of some stUdents in various centres for the return of Gibraltar finds no official support. Sir Samuel Hoare will find his task no easy one, none the less.
Previous page
