Like any smart dictator, Spain's Francisco Franco keeps a parliament on hand to rubberstamp his acts and to acclaim his glory. The opening of his well-trained Cortes is one of Spain's gaudiest state affairs; for schoolchildren and factory workers, it is a holiday. Obligingly, Franco likes to spice the annual occasion with holiday cheer, in the form of some piece of good news.
Last week Franco had hoped to announce that the U.N. had lifted its diplomatic sanctions against Spain, that the West was extending a friendly hand. Twice Franco had postponed the opening, and rewritten his speech, waiting for...
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