PROGRESS TO VICTORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 24, 16 November 1943, Page 6

PROGRESS TO VICTORY

SPAIN IS THE BAROMETER

Our attempts to counteract C?er-

man propaganda are just beginning and ure of course, still very feeble.

The German propoganda machine in Spain, as elsewhere., is magnificent. The press chief is the most influential foreigner in Spain. lie has unlimited funds, and Germany controls the press, and radio completely.

No communiques from Russia ure ever printed or announced and only t.lie briefest snatches of English and American communiques. Berlin provide* ijeauLiiuily printed Spanish language magazines, handsomely illustrated. A big propaganda oll'ic« in the Grand Via lias window displays and exhibits changed every few days„ frequently showing photographs of kindly-looking South Gorman* at wayside shrines and cruciiixes. German orchestras, and soloists are giving concerts all over Spain. The British and American Ambassies have war news typed in English and Spanish, but Spaniards tailing this material are waylaid and badly beaten by thugs and gangsters in the pay of the police.

Hopes for Allied Victory

And yety high and low, the Spaniard prefers an Allied victory to a German. The Government is unpopular with all classes, 'lhe aristocrats have money invested, in England and America and their hearts arc apt to be in their poeketbooks. The moneyed middle class realises that England and America have what Spain needs—gasoline, oil and money to lend. Germany is in debt to Spain and cannot pay either in funds that Spain respects or in heavy machinery that is promised and promised but never delivered. The masses —in prison and out—the workers slaving for their eight to twelve pesetas a day look to the Allies for salvation, political and physical. The Spaniard is a gentleman; the German is an overbearing, aggressive egoist, without tact. That is enough to make the Spaniard dislike the Germans without the other reasons.

San Sebastian was. for me,, the most interesting place in Spain. It is very beautifully situated on an arc of the sea, surrounded by green hills —clean, proud and dignified— in other words), Basque.

The food supply in San Sebastian, as elsewhere, in the Spain I; visited —Madrid, Barcelona. Bilbao—was very plentiful. Spanish meals are fantastically large and the mystery of the country to me is how people can eat so much and remain so lean. But the cost of living is ; as the French say, formidable.

Naturally, only the well-to-d( have luxuries. Capital is being expended to mainlain comfort —by al those who have it —and the war which the Spanish have endurc< since 1935, weighs heavily on all.

Everyone wants us to win, but the upper classes make very wry faces over a Russian victory. If we could win and Russia lose, they would be suited perfectly. And yet when Lhey raise their glasses in a toast, even in crowded restaurants. they say "Churchill" instead of "chin-chin."

I met many refugees in Spain at San Sebastian and elsewhere. They are coming across the frontier at many points—hundreds every day. The French are confused and. demoralised, and many of them are in an orgy of self-abasement. They have only one hope and that is Ihe United States. The upper classes are mostly bitterly anti-Russian,, and heatedly anti-British but. as they put it. "We wait for the Americans." The young Frenchmen who arccoming to light for the Allies and for themselves in Africa are mostly superb. Some of them possess the best-known names in France. If they only could cease their local politics and. their class' loyalties anil remember that any Frenchman who lights for France at home or abroad is a good Frenchman whether lie he de Gaullist, Ciraudi.st, or a follower of the tragic old man of Vichy.

Hunting-Ground of Spies

With these refugees are coining spies of both sexes. Madrid is l'ul|[ of them,, and, the Palace Hotel is the headquarters. There are scores of Germans there and dozens of Americans. In fact, the place is dubbed the "German-American Bund." There the agents meet and exchange their confidences and keep their appointments. I suggested to the manager that he place a sign over the entrance to the writing-room: "This room reserved, for .spies." His answer was, "It isn't big enough."

The atmosphere of Spain is tense and taut. Yen feel that you are close fo the f'out there and that the enemy is everywhere. I was

shadowed continuously—ln San Sebastian so closely that I 1 etl jny little Spanish detective through a threehour tour of anlit|ue shops and finally gave him a cigarette and an "adios" At the end of. the tour. He touched his hat and conluscdly accepted the cigarette, which is. J:y the way, the most acceptable bribe in Spain. With all the tenseness of the utmospherej, there is plenty of hum-

our. Germans and Italians The German stories about the Italians arc particularly interesting. One goes like this: "Have you heard of the new Italian lank? It has five, speeds in reverse and one forward —the hitter in cast' of an attack from the rear!" Another German short one: '"A lion in the Libyan De.sert was chasing an Italian olf'icer. Alter half an hour without gaining, the lion .says "You've got me beat. How do yon do it?"' The officer: "You forget that I'm a veteran of .six campaigns.'' Another yarn,, probably Spanish In Hell after the war. in a slimj ooze reserved for those who made the war are seen various leaders, Goering up to his waist in slime Goebbcls to his chin, but Hitler on!\ to his knees. Someone says, "lloav Adolf, do you get off so easily?' t "Oh."' lie replies, "I'm standing oi Mussolini's, shoulders." The French quips are dry and bit ter. A typical one is on eollabora tion. "Collaboration," says th< Frenchman, "means, 'Give the Ger man your watch and he'll tell yoi the time.'" "Watch Spain carefully. She i the barometer that tells the .stat of our progress towards, victorj' When her Administration changes or the King comes bacty. it is a sun f sign that the war is nearly over I predict that events within th next six months.—Star-Sun am i N.A.N.A.