NEWS OF THE WEEK
THERE has been little change in the Spanish situation in the past week either internally or externally. Cata- lonia has been cleared ; active hostilities, except for an occasional bombardment of Madrid, are in abeyance ; Dr. Negrin and most of his Ministers are back in their original capital, where General Miaja has been made both War Minister and Commander-in-Chief ; but the President, Senor Azafia, declines to move from the Spanish Embassy in Paris, and makes no secret of his view that, further resist- ance being useless, the war should now end. With that question is bound up the decision of the British and French Governments on the recognition of General Franco. It is not a question of whether—that may be regarded as already settled—but of when. The argument that recognition should be withheld till convincing assurances have been re- ceived from General Franco as to the departure of the Ger- man and Italian forces in Spain, and in the hope that he may be persuaded to declare an amnesty in place of the talk of penalties he has just issued, is plausible, and that course is in fact for the moment being followed ; but there is much to be said for the view that a frank and immediate recognition of the situation will put the Western democracies in a better position with the new regime in Spain than a period of bargaining. The Governments in London and Paris must decide, on the information available to them.
* * *
