1936-09-10 — Page 10

10

.

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,

1936.

What SPAIN'S WAR means

MILED

Bordeaux

200

FRANCE

Poulouse

Marseilles lan

Barcelona

1s.

Madrid SPAIN

·Valencia

Malaga

Almeria

Gibraltar(or)

\Ccuta(sp)

MOROCCO.

Balearic

"Dron

Leghorn

Minorca Sardinia.

Fort Mchan

fulma

prsica

Scagliari

Smaz

Messin

Sicily

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Algiers

ALGERIA

VERY decent man in this country must wish. not. only that the legally con- stituted Government in Spain will triumph, but that the rebellion and its aftermath will not lead to international com- plications and the breaking of the peace elsewhere.

A section of those who nor mally support Toryism in this country is showing open gym- pathy for the rebel Generals and their dupes.

Do our self-styled patriots understand what they are risk- ing by their moral support of the Spanish rebels?

Ir their hopes are fulfilled, and a Fascist Government wins control in Spain, the strategical position of the British Empire will be wenkened to an almost Incalculable extent.

The British Empire contains most of the desirable territories in the world suitable for capi- talist exploitation, and Fascism will desire to devour these rich prizes.

There are clear tendencies visible of the Fascist States The open coming together. Italian support of the Spanish rebels and the velled German support are evidence,

Our Tory pro-Fascists should read a lesson in the virtual re- cognition of the Spanish rebel

To-day's Thought................ A MAN may build himself a throne of bayonets but he cannot sit on it.

-DEAN INGE,

COMING TO THE

KING'S

AND

ALHAMBRA

The most ox- citing screen sweethearto of the year in a

great song and thrill romance! CLARK

MY GABLE

- JEANETTE

M'DONALD

Bizerta

Tunis

TUNISIA

This map will halp the roador to understand the position in the Mediterranean. With a hostile Spain, the Union Jack could no longer dom-

inale Gibraltar

lender by Nazi Ger- many. The com- mander of the most powerful unit in the rapidly expanding German fleet actually called

General on Franco at Ceuta.

These are days of Power Politics, whether we like it or not.

Let us consider the power that would lie behind the next Ger- man demand for satisfaction, either at our expense or at the expense of the Lengue and the Peace of Europe, with Spain practically Protectorate.

an

Italo-German

With a hostile Spain, Glb- raltar is untenable as a naval base. With the increase in the range of modern artillery, the harbour in Gibraltar Bay, on the west side of the Rock, can be dominated by cannon mounted on the ring of hills in the Spanish hinterland.

This danger was recognised some years ago. There was a proposal to make an additional harbour on the cast side of the Rock. It was not proceeded with for a number of reasons, one of these being the realisation that, with the ever-increasing range of modern guns, such a harbour, in its turn, could be dominated by guns mounted on the Span- ish coast to the north and

FRANCISCO

SPENCER

TRACY

-JACK HOLT JESSIE RALPH

·TED HEALY

* W, B. Van Dyke

Production

Malta

northeast

to BRITAIN

by LORD

of Gibraltar.

The fortress itself could stand a siege; but its harbour would be useless for refuelling or re- pairing our warships.

Confederation

The Fascist would control the fortress and harbour of Ceuta, on the south side of the Straits of Gibraltar and its hinterland. Ceuta is a natural fortress second only to "the Rock." We could not make an attack on Ceuta without or- ganising a great expedition. The Fascists would, in effect, control both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar, the western exit of the Mediterranean.

We already know that Malta is vulnerable to air attack because of Its situation at short flying distance from the Italian aerodromes. The British Fleet, therefore, in time of war, would be without a foothold in the Western Mediterranean except by the good grace of France.

Furthermore, if, as has been

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THE

STRABOLGI

(Formerly on the Admiralty War Staff in London

and Assistant Chief of Staff at Gibraltar).

freely reported, the Itallians have been promised the use of the Balearic Islands by the Spanish rebels, they would have, as an additional base, the Island of Minorca, including the first- class natural harbour of Port Mahon. This was British base in the Mediterranean. Ad- miral Byng was shot on his own quarter- deck by order of a court-martial for fall- ure to relieve it when it was besieged by the French.

once

D

Although we could, by arrangement with France, use Bizerta or other harbours on tho French North African coast and Toulon in the South of Franco, the communications would be aimcult.

Furthermore, the magnin- cent Spanish harbours of Vigo and Villa Garcia in the North of Spain and Cadiz in the south, both on the Atlantic seaboard, would be avaliable as bases for German or Italian cruisers and submarines in case of war.

The British Channel Ficot frequently used Vigo and Villa Garcia for the purpose of exor- ctses and

by manœuvres

with friendly arrangement Spain, in pre-war :days.

During part of the Great War I was on the Staff at Gibraltar and had knowledge of what was going on in Spain.

Most of the aristocracy and the Army officers were pro-Ger- man. The thought of Spain coming in against us at one critical stage of the war was a real nightmare.

Our only sure friends in Spain at that time were the Repub÷ Hicans and Bocialists the so- called "Reds ""of to-day."

Portugal might be forced Into the threatened Fascist com- bination, and there would be then additional landing har- bours at the disposal of this anti-British and anti-French Confederacy.

Our nearest Atlantic bases, supposing France was on our side,, would be Bordeaux, deep

in the Bay of Biscay, Brest and Plymouth. For operations on the

trado Atlantic

routes, especially on the very important sea communications with South. Africa and South America, our opponents would be on interior linca.

Such convoys as we brought from the Cape or managed · to escort westwards through the Meditermnenn would have to run the gauntlet of attack from these Spanish and Portugueso harbours.

As if this were not enough, a Spanish alliance might give the Fascist Confederacy a cruiser base in the Canary Islands and at Rio de Oro, ir Spanish territory, on the north-west shoulder of Africa, Our difficulties of trade protec- tion at sea in the last war were child's play compared to the prob- lems, set by such circumstances.

An

Again, it must be remembered that Italy has established "Empire" in North-East Africa, . with a potential threat to our Red Ben trade route to India. We can nagame with certainty that in the event of such a war, or even the threat of such a war, we could not dispatch a large fleet to the Pacific in case of need. And who would guarantee that Japan would not Join such a Confederacy?

Now as to France,

18

the

French national defence directed towards safeguarding her north-eastern frontiers against a possible German threat. A Fascist Spain would cause France to de- tach an army to guard Pyrenees and to erect fortifications on the Franco-Spanish frontier. With an enemy based on the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Mediterranean ports, the passage of troops from Algeria to the South of France to reinforce the Metro- politan armies would be dificult.

ལ

To sum up: if the Fascists win in Spain, with German and Italian help, the balance may be tipped against the anti-Fascist nations. Neither the policy of "splendid isolation nor hundred per cent, non-resistance will avall us in Britain if we abandon our friends on the Continent of Europe.

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And yet Torles blindly cheer the reports of rebel victories and our "National" Government adopts an attitude of malevolent neutrality towards the constitutionally clec- LONDON SERVICE ted Government of Spain.

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