Oldal 3 [3]
OCR
- page three < this form all over the country and hopes in a remote future to be able to dispense almost entirely with the State apparatus in favour of the Mutual system. It is an interesting experiment. In the political field trends have not substantially changed. Franco is still riding the crest of the wave of public approval of his policiess He has today the great majority of the people with him. Still, there is one fact, which remains important in the minds of the thinking public : Franco will ve 60 this yeare Though this fact is rarely mentioned in the press, it is one which is widely discussed in political circles. Franco is in best health, full of vigour and activitye He id in good forme But the fact of his 60th birthday brings again home to the polis tically, thinking people - and they are numerous in Spain e the great necessity of stability, if and when Franco will Gisappeare And here the question of Monarchy becomes paxumount ia the minds of all Spaniards, The question in fact is discussed now with greater interest then ever before. s. In this connection it is clear, that Franco is and con= tinues to be a Monarchiste He wants to have a Kinge Ue was, uns til recently, the strongest supporter of the dynasty of King Als Zonsoe But now the natter is coming to a crisis, probably before the end of the winter. We have reported on this problem beforee A decision seems to have been taken now in the sense, that Don Juan hs been definitely shelved. It has been decided that he shall not be considered for the throne. In fact, it is striking, how much the pretender has lost all folliowinge A most popular man only four years ago,Don Juan is now losing even the bulk of the nobilitye His advisers, Gil Robles, Saenz Rodriguez and Lopes ®liven have led the pretender in a policy of opposition to the regime, which is now costing him his last supports, The pretenders advisers made several fatal mistakes, which to enumerate would take to longe But probably the most fatal one was to count heavily on the big land-owning court aristieracy. This group tried to use the pretender in order to prevent the social und agrarian policy of the governement, especially to prevent an agrarian reform as suggested by the progressive Catho ics of the Artajo, Ruiz Gime=nez type and by the Falangists.e This is the reason why they suggested to him to take up the fight against Franco. Sut now these seme people have come to see, that foliowing their policy, Don Juan has lost all his own support and can no longer stem the tide against theme As persons interested only in their own well-being, these people, only this spring vocal advocates of Don Juan, are now turning against him and are on the 10 olsout for some other force with which ta fight the land reform. Thuis the 62.
