MURVILLE CALLS ON GENERAL FRANCO
By.Ramén Vazquez
The trip of France's top diplomat, Couve de Murville, to Spain would seem to demonstrate the profound amity now existing between the governments of General Franco and General de Gaulle, It was a "typically Spanish" junket with bull fights and wreaths of flowers laid_at the monument to the dead fascists of the "Valle de los Caidos" [Valley of the Fallen]. (But then didn't Khrushchev bow his head at Verdun?)
Naturally, behind all the rituals marking the coming and going, serious conversations took place, -fhese occurred on both the political and economic level. Politically, the Franco government has reached the point of demanding recognition by the West as a "complete" ally, Economically, Spanish capitalism in its present phase needs an increase in foreign investments and a guarantee for outlets beyond its borders, It seems quite likely that Couve de . Murville faced a certain amount of blackmail from the Francoite ministers, Hither the doors of the Common Market must swing wide open or they will be obliged to turn toward the Anglo-Saxon countries, The French diplomat promised everything demanded and something besides, It is, in short, certain that de Gaulle considers Franco to be a sure ally in his world strategy. The latter, moreover, following his old tactic of smiles for everybody and an alliance with the winner, a tactic which served him so well in the past, is playing a subtle game with the United States, He ceded Rota as a base for atomic submarines but he sold Pegaso trucks to Cuba despite Amcrican pressure,
In the end we saw Couve de Murville at Brussels as the ardent advocate of Francoite Spain among the partners of the Six, He exhorted the convinced (Bonn) but did not convince the reticent. Italy fears for her oranges, which gives Nenni's friends a clear conscicnce,. Spaak remains on guard, Nevertheless “exploratory conversations" are going to take place with Spain, which will end without doubt, not in association with the Common Market, but in a commercial treaty,
It could be asked whether the Spanish economy is ready for association, A commercial treaty and an increase in investments -among other things -=- could help ripen conditions in Spain for an integration to take place in several years. In addition, the Franco government fears the victory =-=- which everybody considers certain -of the Labourites in Great Britain and the difficulties which this victory could create in relations between the two countries, Of course, General Franco is interested politically in bringing his country into the western political arena, in ending all the reserva~ tions ~~ often formal -- that his regime still arouses. But don't certain Spanish "neocapitalist™ groups have an interest in extending certain reservations in order to prepare the "relief" team in peace and quiet and present themselves a few years hence before
Spanish and international public opinion as..the genuine “liberaliz~ ers" of the Franco regime, the worthy partners of the European "democrats"? The natural allies of these “neocapitalists" are, to be sure, the Spanish as well as European Social Democrats, - °° In any case, what is certain is that increasingly close poli-~ tical and economic ties are going to-‘unite France and Spain, The trip of Couve de Murville took place: completely within this policy. The only worthwhile reply for the French workers consists in creat=_ ing similarly close ties with the Spanish workers, Romantic declarations in the style of "Spain to the core" will not suffice, What is needed is proletarian internationalism, - “
FAVERSHAM BY-ELECTION