WOOING SPAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24420, 4 October 1940, Page 7

WOOING SPAIN

THE AXIS POWERS EFFORTS UNSUCCESSFUL ITALY’S MISCALCULATIONS LONDON, Oct. 2. - Commenting' on §enof Suner’s Rome visit, the Daily Telegraph points out the inherent Axis difficulty in persuading Spain to adopt the course which Italy herself has pursued unprofitable since June 10. Speaking of the Italian parleys with Senor Suner, it says: “ The facts of the situation suggest that these efforts to draw Spain into the war have not been successful. What Hitler failed to obtain from Senor Suner’s long visit to Berlin it is not likely his subaltern will be able to extract. Immediately after Italy’s entry into the war Spain declared herself non-belligerent. That, of course, is a status which Italy held until the defeat of France tempted her to deliver a stab in the back with the hooe of obtaining spoils of victory without cost. The subsequent course of the war has shown that Mussolini made gross miscalculations which General Franco can fee! small desire to imitate.”

The Telegraph adds that the shattering of the Luftwaffe’s attacks, the destruction of the German invasion flotillas, and the R.A.F.’s raids have given Spain' a new estimate of British and Nazi power.

SENOR SUNER IN ROME TALKS WITH FASCIST LEADERS (By Wireless) , LONDON, Oct. 3. (Received Oct. 3, at 11.30 p.m.) Senor Suner, the Spanish envoy, is still in Rome, where he is having talks with the Fascist leaders. He saw Count Ciano yesterday and was expected later to see Signor Mussolini. but this interview did not come off. The mass of reports issuing from Rome and Berlin are agreed on only one thing—a desire to get the fullest propaganda value out of the visit. They declare that it is of the “ greatest significance.” but take great pains not to say in what way. The main point to remember is that Senor Suner has not made his visit to the Axis capitals as a Minister with full powers, but as a oartv leader —namely, of the Falangist Party. So far as is known in London he has no power to commit his country to any change of policy and there is no evidence that he is free to commit Spain to any_ Of the maior changes of policy which the Axis Powers are urging on him.