The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1936. THE SPANISH CONFLICT.

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 16

The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1936. THE SPANISH CONFLICT.

An analysis which wc published this week was eloquent of the complexity of the forces that have been, fighting in Spain. It enumerated ho fewer than nine parties, all with their own differences, some of which aro extreme, on tho rebel side, and at least eight on the other. Tho insurgents include Royalists and Republicans, Fascists and 11011-Fascists, 'Monarchists who favour Alfonso’s family and those who support the rival Carlists. Ranked behind the Government are Catholic as well as nonCatholic Republicans; Socialists, who stand for the confiscation of landed estates and are anti-clerical; Communists, fiercely anti-clerical, whose minds run to Soviets; and Anarcho-Syndical-ists, who flout constitutional methods, but differ from the Communists in demanding local autonomy everywhere. The issue has been generally described as one between Fascism and Communism, but only fifteen Communists were returned at the elections in February. It is generally agreed that Communism has the least natural hold upon the people of Spain, whose individualism is reflected in tho number of their parties and constant contentions. But the smallness of the Communist representation probably was more due to tho fact that this creed concerns itself least, with Parliament and parliamentary methods. At its inception there seems no doubt whatever that the revolt, beyond anything else, was that of a military caste which feared that its officers would lose their positions and influence if tho Government, supported by Communists, continued to rule. There were supporters who feared confiscation of their property. As its troubles have grown it would appear that the Government, composed of many sections, has come more and more under Communist and Anarcho-Syndicalist control. The elections, it has ’been, contended, were not fought on principles so much as on the question of the release of victims imprisoned by the preceding Government. The conflict has continued, with equal cruelties on both sides, and it looks as if tho rebels will soon bo the loyalists. Their discipline and superiority in arms seem to bo prevailing over the disorderly forces of tho other side. If they capture Madrid and form a Government there is no certainty that it will be Fascist in tho ordinary acceptation of the term. There wore few Fascists in Spain on the eve of the elections, and most of them were gaoled very quickly by the Loft Government when it assumed office. What is threatened is a military dictatorship of tho kind which Spain has had before, under Primo de Rivera, when tho country was better ruled, probably, than it has been since, and others. A Fascist Government, in close alliance with Germany and Italy, has been feared by onc-half of Europe as much as a Communist Spain, in alliance witli Russia, lias been feared by the other, but Spain is a feeble country. Its support would add little strength to any Power or combination of Powers. If a dictatorship should prove too extreme tho reaction against it almost certainly would produce counter-revolts, and tho present stage would bo only the beginning of a long period of unsettlenient and recurrent bloodshed. On tho other hand, tho cohesion that exists between different sections of tho present Government seems to bo the least that could be imagined. Spain will die on her feet, declares a loyalist stalwart, rather than live on her knees. There is no real question of Spain dying, though both sides in this conflict seem determined to reduce the population as much as possible, lu addition to tho loss of life there lias boon vast destruction of beautiful buildings and works of art, and the economic difficulties of whatever Government may be formed after the struggle will exceed anything that has had to bo faced in the past.