IS DON JUAN RETURNING TO THE SPANISH THRONE?

Grey River Argus, 15 November 1948, Page 5

IS DON JUAN RETURNING TO THE SPANISH THRONE?

[From Robert. Papworth, Reuters Correspondent] MADRID. (By Airmail). Is Don Juan, the Spanish Pretender, coming back to Spain as King Juan III? Will he abdicate in favour of his 10-year old son, Juan Carlos, Prince of Asturias? In either case, what will be General Franco’s role in Spanish politics? Spaniards of all classes all oyer Spain have been, and still are asking these questions following the meeting—as historic as it was unexpected —between Don Juan of Bourbon and General Franco in the latter’s yacht on the high seas off San Sebastian on August 25. No details of the talks have been revealed. No authorised comment of any kind has appeared in Spain on the meeting and no newspaper has been allowed to make any reference to it. except the official communique announcing the meeting which said “Impressions concerning problems of general interest were exchanged’ with the “education in Spain of Don Juan’s eldest child as the principal object of the talk.” . Negotiations preliminary to the meeting were conducted in the strictest secrecy and, with the possible exception of Senor Alberto Martin Artajo, the Spanish Minister for For-

eign Affairs, no member of the Cabinet was aware of them. Nor was the Monarchist Organisation in Spain any better informed. They are still 'awaiting some explanation and guidance as to their future line of action from Don Juan’s headquarters at the Estoril in Portugal. It was public knowledge in Spain that there had been a complete break between the Pretender, Don Juan, and the head of tfie State, General Franco, for some years. It was known that Don Juan had ben negotiating with General Franco’s political opponents, including socialists and Anarchists, though not the Communists. His apparent volte-face therefore came as an even greater surprise to Spaniards, who are now wondering what it may mean and who inspired the move —the Vatican, Washington, j Lisbon, the British Foreign Office? Spaniards generally are inclined to take the view that Don Juan, possibly because he could not. reach an agreement with the socialists, has 'had to give way to his rival and that General Franco, with characteristic caution and patience, has won a bloodless victory. He appears at the moment to have gained in political stature in Spain what Don Juan has lost in prestige—for the Pretender has lost much following among moderate left wingers, while even his supporters are in doubt and COnfUSiOn. ■ *1 jiis much is certain: General Franco has by no means been ousted and has no intention of relinquishing his hold upon the country. Members of the sole political organisation allowed in Spain, the Falange (Fascist) Party, never favourable to the Monarchy, do not dare to voice disagreement with General Franco for having conducted negotiations with Don Juan. But in private they express considerable disappointment at the meeting. The soCrlled “collaborationist Monarchists” —Royalists who are at the same time supporters of General Franco —believe that Don Juan will return to Spain “within a year” and that he will enter the country as King Juan 111. ) Such an event could, however, only take place on General Franco’s own terms. One prominent supporter of Don Juan summed up the position in the phrase: “The King would arrive in a gilded cage, but a cage for all that.”. Some quarters here believe that the Pretender will abdicate in favour of Prince Juan Carlos, who under General Franco’s law of succession could only become King in 20 years —at the age of 30. It is known that General Franco has agreed to allow Prince Juan Carlos to come to Spain to school in October.