A trickster, a hypocrite, a liar, a backstabber and a would-be dictator were among the various things that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was called last week when he announced to the House of Commons that his Government had recognized Franco Spain. Few predecessors had ever taken such a verbal licking on that floor.
The Laborite motion of censure brought against Mr. Chamberlain declared "that in the opinion of this House, the decision of His Majesty's Government to grant unconditional recognition to the Spanish Insurgent forces, dependent upon foreign intervention, constitutes a deliberate affront to the legitimate Government of a friendly power, is a gross breach of international traditions and marks a further stage in a policy which is steadily destroying in all the democratic countries confidence in the good faith of Britain."
No Liberal or Laborite seriously doubted that Generalissimo Franco had won his war, would soon be master of Spain and sooner or later be recognized as such by all the world. But for two years the Opposition had been balked in their desire to put Britain on the Leftist side and they were at least going to say their say at the finish. If the censure motion was bitter, it was nothing compared to the way in which terrier-sized Clement Richard Attlee, Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, tied into Mr. Chamberlain. Said Major Attlee: "It looks as if the Prime Minister has given away everything and got nothing in its place, not even a 'thank you' from General Franco. This is not in the interests of democracy or the interests of the safety of the British Empire. The Government is thinking all the time of the interests of British capital." When Attlee tired, Sir Archibald Sinclair took up the attack for the Liberal forces. Said he: "Unlike this Government, Franco will remain faithful to his own principles and own friends. . . . Don't forget that a part of the policy of Franco's supporters is the recovery of Gibraltar from Britain." The British Government's epitaph, asserted scornful Sir Archibald, should be "We have eaten dirt in vain!"
Mr. Chamberlain, visibly disturbed, attempted to soothe the Opposition by reading a telegram which he had received from General Franco, giving what the Prime Minister chose to interpret as "assurances" that Loyalist rights would be respected. When Mr. Chamberlain read a Franco passage saying that "Spain is not disposed to accept any foreign intervention which might injure her dignity or sovereignty," the Opposition laughed derisively and long. But the Government had the last laugh, defeating the censure motion 344-10-147.
Hours before the debate began, the British Government had assisted Franco's longtime representative in London, the Duke of Berwick & Alba, in taking over the palatial Spanish Embassy in Belgrave Square. Britain meanwhile decided to send as her Ambassador to Franco Spain a routine diplomat, 50-year-old Sir Maurice Drummond Peterson, until last week Britain's Ambassador to Iraq and a man who has seen previous service in Madrid as counselor of the British Embassy. Franco promptly accepted him.