European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1947, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Resistance on a Tightrope continued from Page 3 sentiment on the part of Spanish who were Point ing out Only a year or so ago that the falange had put Spain in the Healthiest economic condition of its history by putting the clamps on the labor move ment now complain that business is stagnating under the rigid system of government economic conditions Are reflected darkly by the flourishing currency Black in spite of heavy penal ties for trafficking in Amer ican dollars and Swiss francs can be sold at a substantial the official rate of pesetas to the Dollar contrasts with the illegal figure of about 28 to the High As across the Straits of Gibraltar in the Spanish City of actually there Are four different rates of Exchange for the Dollar in in addition to the official value and the Black Market there is a special rat of pesetas for the official rate for the reverse Exchange of pesetas into dollars is these two latter of represent the demand for Dol Lars in this country there have been consistent rumours and pressure devaluation of the peseta to make it conform with its real but so far the government has denied and resisted such a while the Black Market strength ens its grip on the National Spain food which has been growing steadily worse for Many shows no sign of even in the Rich Levante around Long known As Spain principal the food situation has been described As even worse than in larger population centers like Madrid and where a crippled transportation system and reduction of imports have made shortages expect bread is a Little More plentiful lately As the result of a generous wheat crop but White bread is still unavailable except at Black Market Olive the traditional sine qua non of Spanish brings fantastic prices which keep it Oft the working mans this has been difficult for the government to sex since the Olive crop last fall was one of the Best in the Black Market Price in Valencia has dropped from fifteen dollars a quart to about but that still too Steep for the average working Man making perhaps Only a Dollar and a half or two dollars a meat is still bringing upwards of two dollars a there is a limited amount of sugar in Madrid and Barcelona about three dollars a but for a Long time the people of Valencia have been forced to make do with available in Madrid at four dollars a Pound and in Barcelona at six Sells in Valencia for around farm like businessmen and Indus trial complain that their trouble lies in the Ham stringing tactics of governments Sindi cais Federal system of regulated cooperatives through whose hands All farm products with All these factors of protest working against the Fala Gist resistance might be United and if not for the delicate Issue advanced by the current International As if this were not Al ready delicate another intern Al question has threatened to Widen the fissures among the various resistance this is the of whether to try to bargain with the monarchists As an added source of possible strength in the anti Franco Al Caudillo nou Cement Early in april of his Plano succession in the government of Spain gave the resistance its opening for a move to conciliate the in it practically forced on the republicans the necessity of acting on the question be fore the Opportunity should fade Francos according to which the monarchy apparently would be restore after the Generalissimo himself should leave the appeared to be a definite move to win the monarchists to his own How this Bon tossing failed to satisfy the majority of the monarchist for it was answered almost immediately with Defiance by Don leading Bourbon pretender to the the communists had been openly opposed to any Compromise with the monarchists and have labelled those favouring such a move As Collar just before the recent conferences Between royalists and officials of the Republican government in which has its seat in a spokesman for the Mora moderate element we have succeeded in getting the Nomi Nal support of the the same it might be went so far As to say that exile Premier Rudolfo Llopis had been the Job of forming the new Cabinet for the sole purpose of making such a pact with the Monarch so no solid Union seems to have come out of negotiations be tween the two brother observations by the Republican quoted above indicate the degree to which the republicans have become sensitive to the tensions of the current inter National he pointed out that the exile government was admittedly weakened by the replacing of girls Cabinet with the new out fit headed by he indicated that this resulted from the necessity of isolating the Negrin faction whose association with the communists had led it to become in spite of the apparent attitude expressed in such a the government in exile has not attempted by any Means to read the reds out of the movement the organized late shifted the political weight within ranks to Ward the Center and lopped off the far right and socialist left but it was forced to recognize the strength of the communists by giving them a major so the chief aim of the Llopis government seems to be to stall off the necessity of a break with any of its parts by playing straight Down the How far this policy can Advance the cause of the resistance remains sooner or later the Republican if it a oud Lead resistance in any positive action against the Franco May find itself forced to choose Between the merciless alternatives shall As the presumptive Leader of counter stake its chances on the Western Powers and try to purge the Strong communist element or shall it let its chips ride on red and thereby take advantage of whatever internal strength the resistance has already built up weekends cover resting against the calf of one of the plaster statues in studio his constabulary outfit used As a motor Pool Edward of cover photograph and pictures on pages 4 and 5 were taken by weekends Hans Hubman material May by reproduced Only specific prior permission has been grafted by the editors and if it is or st hinted by i a manuscripts or photographs submitted to weekend should be accompanied by addressed envelopes and return weekend is hot responsible for unsolicited contributions 23