GERMANY AND SPAIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 202, 27 July 1937, Page 6

GERMANY AND SPAIN.

Germany’s interest in the insurgent forces in the Spanish civil war was frankly declared by Herr Hitler in a recent address to 200,000 Nazis assembled in a Bavarian town. “Germany,” he said, “needs to import iron ore. That is Avhy we want a Nationalist Government in Spain.” That also explains why large quantities of minerals are now being diverted to Germany from Spain in return for munitions of war. This loss of iron ore has had a somewhat.serious effect upon British industry, for Britain normally imports nearly one million tons from Spain, and in view of the altered circumstances has been compelled to purchase elsewhere at greater cost. Spain has very extensive mineral resources which have had an important bearing upon the conduct of the civil war from the insurgents’ strategy. To obtain possession of them has been General Franco’s objective. The southern mineral centres of Huelva and ltio Tinto are in his possession and the output of copper, sulphur, and pyrites trom the British-owned mines has been despatched to other parts of Spain and to Germany and Italy. The iron ore mines of the Basque provinces to a considerable extent influenced the operations which resulted in the capture of Bilbao. General Franco’s strategy is to deprive the Loyalists of badly needed resources, and to provide the very necessary means to secure munitions and other help from Germany and Italy. In both of these countries there is a shortage of raw materials for the iron and steel industries. Neither is able to make extensive purchases in other countries because of exchange difficulties. Rearmament has been for both a very costly enterprise and they lack the necessary credits. It is of first-class importance to them that General Franco should have possession of a good deal of Spain’s mineral wealth, for an easy means of keeping their furnaces in operation is at once available, while the leader of the insurgent forces can not only secure most essential armaments of war but also important help in the shape of man power.