KING FOR SPAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 March 1939, Page 5

KING FOR SPAIN

FRANCO’S REPORTED INTENTION INVITATION TO PRINCE OF ASTURIAS. INSURGENT LEADER’S SPEECH AT BURGOS. (British Official Wireless.) LONDON, February 28. It is learned from a most reliable Spanish source in London that General Franco intends to invite to the throne Don Juan, Prince of Asturias, who is at present in Rome. . “The hour of truth has come. Today Britain recognised us. Tomorrow it will be the whole world,” declared General Franco, addressing 40,000 cheering nationalists from the balcony of his residence. “When even those opposing us now recognise us we should remember those believing in us from the first. Let us therefore pledge our friendship to those giving their blood with ours —to our beloved Italy, friendly Germany, and to those South American nations who have encouraged us. “Our victory has not been won over our own brothers, but over the world, over international forces and over Communism and Freemasonry.” “The Times,” in a leader today, says that the recognition of General Franco is an act of appreciation in accordance with Britain’s steadfast policy. French and British acknowledgment signals world acknowledgment of General Franco as the ruler of Spain. Mr Attlee’s attack on Mr Chamberlain is regarded by the newspaper as a quibble. UNITED STATES. MAY EVENTUALLY RECOGNISE FRANCO. WASHINGTON, February 28. The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, said today that he was considering the question of recognising General Franco, also that he had communicated the British and French action to President Roosevelt at Sea. The impression is prevalent in diplomatic circles that the United States will eventually recognise General Franco’s Government, but the timing of the final decision will depend on President Roosevelt. HAVOC IN CATALONIA DEBRIS BEING CLEARED UP. DEAD BISHOP IDENTIFIED. LONDON, February 28. The Perpignan correspondent of “The Times” says that gangs of workers are removing tne deoris caused by rebel bombings and the loyalists’ action in dynamiting buildings during their retreat from Gerona and Figueras. The recognition of General Franco enables France to restore to Spain the prisoners carried along in the loyalist retreat into France. The loyalists are stated to have shot 42 at Port Demolins and 48 at El Collell. Others escaped. The unidentified bishop whose body was found with others in a gully near the frontier by the nationalists was the Bishop of Teruel, who was captured when the town was surrendered. The body was burnt but was identifiable. The Barcelona correspondent of the British' United Press says that the Nationalists continue to arrest terrorists there. Senor Del Vayo, Republican Foreign Minister, arrived at Valencia from Paris and immediately conferred with Dr. Negrin, the Premier. SIR H. HODGSON. ACCEPTED AS CHARGE D’AFFAIRES. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) BURGOS, February 28. General Franco has accepted Sir Robert Hodgson as the first British Charge D’Affaires. .« YUGOSLAVIAN RECOGNITION. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) BELGRADE, February 28. Yugoslavia has recognised General Franco.

PRESIDENT RESIGNS. LONDON, February 28. Senor Azana announced today at Coulanges-Sozs-Saleve, France, that he has resigned the presidency of Spain. Senor Azana sent a letter to the Cortes explaining his resignation. He said he desired peace and considered defeat inevitable, in which a majority of the Spanish people and Republican General Staff concurred He added that he had not resigned prior to this, because he believed it might still be possible to negotiate, but the English and French recognition of General Franco rendered negotiations impossible and made his continuance as President useless.

CABINET SUMMONED. PLACE OF MEETING SECRET. (Received This'Day, 11.25 a.m.) MADRID, February 28. Senor Azana, in his letter of resignation, asked Senor Barrio to find the necessary successor as President. Dr. Negrin has summoned a Cabinet meeting but has not disclosed the locale. ASSURANCES RECEIVED MP. CHAMBERLAIN DEFENDS HIS POLICY. REPLY TO OPPOSITION LEADER. (Priti-h Official Wireless.' (Received This Day, 11.18 a.m.) RUGBY, February 28. The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain), replying to Mr C. R. Attlee (Leader of the Opposition), who moved the censure motion in the House of Commons, repudiated Mr Attlee’s accusations that he had sought to mislead, the House and evade debate on the issue of the recognition of General Franco. The Government, said Mr Chamberlain, had dealt with the matter without partisanship or prejudice, in conformity with its policy on the Spanish civil war throughout its duration. The Premier cited from standard works on international law passages to show the propriety of the Government’s decision. He pointed out that General Franco was in possession of the major part of'Spain, and that the Republican forces, through lack of munitions and

food, were in no position to make a further prolonged resistance. The former Republican Government was dispersed. Not to have given de jure recognition to General Franco’s Government as the soveireign Government of Spain would have been a gross breach of international usage. To have maintained the recognition of the former Republican Government would have been to encourage a hopeless resistance, contrary to all the dictates of humanity. Moreover, to have withheld recognition longer might have embittered relations with the new Government of Spain and destroyed any influence the British Government might hope to have with it. Mr Chamberlain urged upon the Opposition the consideration that by establishing friendly relations with the new Government they might hope to secure that British interests should not be jeopardised by anything that had happened. The conditions which Mr Attlee had suggested should have been imposed could only have been extracted by war. "We could not exact terms,” said Mr Chamberlain, "but what we could do was to obtain assurances, whilst at the same time granting recognition unconditionally. We had repeated assurances on all the points mentioned by Mr Attlee from General Franco over a period of years, but there was one over which we were particularly concerned. We thought it necessary to ask him to repeat his assurances on reprisals. It would not have been reasonable to ask General Franco beforehand to include men who had been guilty of horrible crimes, but the British Government did urge him that there should be no general reprisals, and it received these assurances.”