The Press: Bounced by Boycott

Into the composing room of Barcelona’s La Vanguardia Espanola rushed plump Publisher Luis de Galinsoga, ordering compositors to restore his name to the paper’s masthead. The compositors refused. “Do as I say,” cried Galinsoga. “I’m still director of La Vanguardia.” Replied the chief compositor: “Not any more you aren’t.”

Thus, last week, Franco-appointed Luis de Galinsoga learned that he had been fired as boss of Spain’s leading newspaper. It had taken a decision of the Franco Cabinet to oust Galinsoga. That decision came almost eight months after Galician Galinsoga, an old Franco friend, had shouted insulting remarks about proud Catalonia after hearing Catalan spoken in a Barcelona Catholic Church sermon. In reprisal, Catalans had boycotted La Vanguardia, cutting its circulation by some 20% and causing advertising losses that reduced the paper’s size from an average 55 pages to 28. What most worried the Franco Cabinet was that the Catalan boycott, in addition to being anti-Galinsoga, was becoming increasingly antigovernment. Within the week after Galinsoga got fired, La Vanguardia was four pages fatter and plainly on the mend.