WAR IN SPAIN: Brother Ram

Brother Ramon

Lieut. Colonel Ramón Franco, 42-year-old brother of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, was killed last week in a Rightist seaplane crash off Majorca. Long before the world had heard of brother Francisco, dashing, sometimes revolutionary aviator Ramón had made headlines. In 1926 he made the first flight from Europe to South America. Later he took part in several rash, poorly timed, badly organized plots against Alfonso XIII. Though respected by some Spanish Republicans, the hard-&-fast Leftist invariably suspected him of exhibitionism.

Egotistic, democratic Ramón and plodding, militaristic Francisco were too often at opposite political poles to be good friends, but when the civil war started Lieut. Colonel Franco, then Spanish air attaché at Washington, immediately returned to Spain to join his brother. The Generalissimo made him chief of the Rightist Majorcan air base. The job was close to a nominal one, however, for all knew that Majorca was directed, if not owned, by the Italians.