SPAIN: All Are One

How near Leftist Spain and Rightist Spain may be to ending their war by a quick peace, to forestall the Great Powers from dictating to Spain and Portugal as they dictated to Czechoslovakia, was suggested in Spain last week by several developments.

In Barcelona, the official Leftist newsorgan Vanguardia warned that Portuguese colonies may go where the Sudetenland has gone unless something is done to check “the new iniquity now incubating within the heads of the dictators of European policy.” Vanguardia followed this by making friendly overtures to Portuguese Dictator Salazar, who ever since the Spanish war began has sided with General Franco, encouraging German and Italian freighters and war craft to use Portuguese facilities in taking troops and supplies to Spanish Rightists. Keynoted Vanguardia unexpectedly: “All Spaniards are one!”

If Spanish Leftists think they can make friends with Rightist Salazar, they may have reason to think they can make friends with Rightist Franco. In Paris last week, agents of the Leftist Government disclosed that a scheme to partition Spain—rejected by Barcelona—had been brought up at the Munich parley. During the Czechoslovak crisis General Franco showed himself definitely cool to Germany. Berlin was enraged by an announcement from Burgos that it would remain neutral in case of a European war. This week the Rightist Spanish Government announced that it is “preparing immediate repatriation” of 10,000 Italian troops.

Addressing the Cortes in Barcelona last week, Leftist Premier Dr. Juan Negrin said: “Spaniards must come to an under-standing among themselves without outside aid.” Similar sentiments were expressed in July 1937 by Leftist President Manuel Azaña, but last week New York Timesman Lawrence A. Fernsworth wirelessed from France that this time Premier Negrin meant business. In Spain, significantly added Mr. Fernsworth “the suggestion that peace negotiations may be under way is not permissible in the press or in news dispatches sent out of the country.” The Leftist Government remains pledged to victory, “a formula that does not exclude victory by negotiation.”