Page 4 [4]
—-,
Bi
Ry
w isssz b d
195.
‘¬
‘ : ra söt "Tess
k my a.
[A tees & 4e
‘tenacity, Franco is eliminating one after another, the _
more aggressive Falangist leaders, and is replacing them
by people more close to his personal views, Even in the |
Cabinet the votes of the Falangist Ministers do no longer
count mich, and their tnelioned on policy shaping is close
to nil, Even the once powerful Fernandez Cuesta has been
reduced to the status of a Minister without Portfolio, and
his msin activities consist of attending memorial celebrations
of the Party, and of making speeches. By this same token,
the young progressive Catholic group, whose spiritual leader
ís Bishop Angel Herrera, of Malaga, is gaining considerable
ground, ‘his is marked not only on the Cabinet level, but
also very clearly on the level of provineial governors, for
instance, where more and more the extreme Falangists are
replaced by progressive Catholics. the power of that
group, and its prestige, was greatly enhanced by the
success of Foreign Minister Don Alberto de Martin Artajo,
not only in the relations to the United States, but also
during his trip to the Arab countries. Tis trip was
quite a success, despite what the Press has been saying.
Agreements were passed which, while not in the form of
treaties, are still a political reality, One can now
speak clearly of a Spanish-Arab bloc, and this bloc will
negotiate with the United States through the Spaniards;
therefore Spain has gained a sieathkaih of political
prominence. which it would be a grave error to under-estimate.
Artajo is skilfully carrying on that policy, and has gained
great popularity by it. eee tő talk that at a coming
re-shuffling of the Cabinet, he might leave his present
post in order to become a Prime Minister, a position not
filled under the present structure. Whether this will
come, is open to question, because in my feeling, Franco.
until it has been decided what solution will be found on
,
98
he