JUSTICE FOR

FRANCO
From Dr. Halliday Sutherland
Sig,-There is a special reason why the British people should welcome General Franco as an ally. In the most critical period of the last war, when France bad been conquered and when the victorious German army was thundering at the gates of Spain, it was General Franco who. on one or another pretext, refused permission for a German force to cross Spain and take Gibraltar. I say on one or another pretext, because General Franco is a statesman, and was acting on behalf of Spain. If Gibraltar had fallen, Malta would have fallen, and then Egypt.
With the road to Gibraltar barred, Hitler invaded Russia, where his army, like that of Napoleon, was defeated. We should thank God that what General Franco did on behalf of Spain was also in the interest of Britain. If my memory serves me. it was Sir Philip Sidney, a gallant English gentleman. who described ingratitude as the basest sin. I also recall that in the whole world there were only two statesmen who foretold Russia's position in post-war Europe. One was General Smuts: the other is General Franco.
Halliday Sutherland.
5 Stafford Terrace, London. W.S.
Si,-A leader in the July People and Freedom contains the following: "The late Admiral Sherman's recent visit to Madrid is just another painful illustration of the clumsy handling by American diplomatists of a complicated and delicate European situation. In their task they have had little help from English and American Catholic publicists who, ever since the outbreak of the Civil War, have distorted the Spanish problem with a persistent disregard for truth equalled only by the propaganda of the Communists and have succeeded in making most honest Catholics believe. that the group of reactionary Generals holding power in Spain are a noble set of Christian gentlemen, who have saved the country from Communist dictatorship. . great damage will be done to Europe if we forget that the Communists were-and still are-among the least important of the forces opposing General Franco, and that it was largely due to the refusal of the Western Democracies to help the democratic forces in Spain that the leadership fell into Communist hands."
English publicists, if Mr. Campbell. Lt.-Col. Butler and Mr. Brookes may be so described. are still at the same game. When will they and those whom they succeed in deluding realise that Communism cannot be fought by bolstering up corrupt and tyrannical regimes nor by the hideous attempt to identify the cause of the Church with the Franco regime ? On the latter error the late Fr, Gosling said the last word in your columns: "To begin with, it is not true, and the attempt can only cause scandal. both inside and outside the Church."
If Catholics judge it politically expedient that we should enlist the aid of one gangster in order to strengthen our defence against a greater let them urge their view honestly. but let us not pretend that the gangster is a high exponent of Christ ian charity.
Sheelagb Richards.
93 Woolstone Road, S.E.23.
(There is more than one way of drawing a straight line from an unwarranted assumption to a foregone conclusion. So far this correspondence has not touched on General Franco's "Christian Charity" an endless and rather irrelevant point.Editor C.H.)
Pilsudski and Poland
From Major General N. Sulik
Ste-For the sake of brevity I am not going to argue with Count Adam Romer's contention (CATHOLIC HERALD. July 20) as to the fact that in free Poland between the two World Wars there were some stiff political struggles. It should be remembered, however, that these disagreements were predominantly political and not religious in character.
As to the part religion played in the pre-war Polish Army I should like to recall some of the Polish Army Regulations.
According to these regulations the day for every Polish soldier started and ended with a common prayer of the whole unit. Attendance at Sunday Mass was expected of every soldier. Every event, every military celebration started always with Holy Mass. Every year. during Lent, confessions and Holy Communion for soldiers were organised and time for this especially set aside, free from other military duties.
There was in the Polish Army always, during peace time a FieldBishop and military vicars were attached to every garrison.
As Marshal Pilsudski was the first C-in-C. and founder of the Polish Army I think it is only right to remember those facts.
Even the anecdote purporting to originate from a "high Polish Prelate" about Marshal Pilsudski's devotion to the Mother of God indicates that he was a truly Catholic soldier. All Poles have a particular d..otion to Our Lady.
N. Sulik.
19 Leamington Crescent. South Harrow. Middlesex.