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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1963)
2 B SUNDAY. ireca'4 (Editor' note: Thii ii the fourth In a series oi discus sion topics provided by the Foreign Policy utociation. Mow York, in connection with tho Grctt Decisions program tor 1963. ThU week's subject ii "Spain -End ol tho Franco Era?") U. S. and Spanish diplo. ' mats are preparing to discuss an issue of prime importance to the Western world; the operation of U. S.-built air and naval bases in spam. A decade ago the U. S. be gan funnelling military hard- ware and economic aid to Spain. Total aid has amount ed to nearly $2 billion, in exchange, Spain's General Franco gave the U. S. rights to construct and operate stra tegic military bases on Span ish soil. The rights are up for re newal this year. There Is ev- ery indication that Spain is prepared to make significant demands as the price for re neval of the U. S. rights. As far back as 1961 Gen- cral Franco stated that the agreements between the two countries should be "modi fiod." "Tho military, political and economic aspects of the agreements," tho Spanish In formation Minister said re. ccntly, "are being studied with an eye to revision." Request for Weapons High on Spain's military shopping list is likely to be a request for up-to-date jet planes, rockets and missile firing destroyers. The esti mated cost may approach $300 million. Franco tends to justify his requests for such equipment on the grounds that, as an anti-Communist country, Spain's defenses should be kept at peak strength. Franco also Is expected to press hard for U. S. political support whenever Spanish in terests are involved in the United Nations and else where. This would include U. S. favoring of Spain's ef forts to associate itself with the six-nation European Com mon Market, which takes 40 per cent of all Spanish ex ports. If the Spanish economy is to prosper, association with the Common Market is a Snow-Less The snow-less winter lias proved to be an unexpected boon to campground and high way cleanup efforts, accord ing to Emil M. Sabol, district ranger at Union Creek, Rogue River National Forest. As a result of the Columbus Day storm forest service re HIGHWAY CLEANUP-The alnng the side of the Crater Lake highway bus Day storm. This scene, taken near the this wlner made it possible lor forest ser- Natural Bridge area, shows how neat the vice and stale highway department' crews roadside appears following completion of to clean up brush that was encroaching on I lie work. TIMBER REMOVAL-Numerous trees were litre a Mctirew Diotliers logging truck blown down at Natural Bridge and olhrr loads some of the blowdown salvage at campgrounds In the Union Creek Ranger . Natural Bridge campground, district during the Columbus Day storm. FEBRUARY 24. 1963 , IDecisioinis: S m . spam y - RELAXING IRON GRIP-This United Press International newsmap shows the country of Spain, whose ruler, Generalissimo Fran must. Without such associa. tion, Spain's exports will face tough tariff barriers. Franco believes that the Spanish bases continue to be vital to the U. S. Therefore, he reasons, the U. S. will be willing to pay the price he asks. Value of Sea Base The U. S., to be sure, would like to renew the agreements, A fully operational naval base at Rota, in southern Spain, has become of increasing val ue. This base would serve as headquarters for nuclear submarines due to operate in the Mediterranean Sea. On the other hand, some strategists consider U. S. air bases in Spain to be of dimin ishing value in the age of long-range missiles. In addi tion, many people deplore any U. S. tics at all to an authori tarian regime like Franco's. Two months ago an inter national commission of jurists commented that the Franco regime has not abandoned the 'intolerable and subjugation of all opposition which char acterize a totalitarian system." Winter Unexpected creation areas nn the Union Creek nanRcr district were storm strewn with down tim ber and debris. The Crater Lake and Diamond Lake high ways also were hit by the storm. While the areas arc usually under several feet of snow at lack of snow the highway and , Tj Thus it is not certain that this country will be eager to meet the terms Franco may present. Sen. Richard B. Rus sell (D-Ga ), chairman of the Armed Services committee, has said that Increased U. S. payments for the Spanish bases would be "completely unjustified." While U. S. and Spanish negotiators have been sound ing each other out on renewal of the agreements, General Franco's government has been In consultation with French officials. , It is believed that French President de Gaulle is eager to forge close ties with Spain as part of his grand design to form a united Western Eu rope under French leader ship. What can De Gaulle offer Spain? For one thing, Do Gaulle can help smooth Spain s path to association with the Common Market. For another, De Gaulle can hold out prospects of a mili tary agreement with Spain. Thus Spain would be linked with France and West Germa ny (both of which recently this time of the year, the sunny weather this year has allowed restoration work to procede uninterrupted. The first Job to be tackled was the restoration of the roadsides. According to Sabol, both the Crater Lake and Dia mond Lake highways are also debris from the Colum- . r. MEDFORD cisco Franco, appears to be relaxing the iron grip he has held on the Spanish people since 1939. (UPI) signed a military agreement). This could be the nucleus of a future European army and even a possible replace ment for the U. S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In a sense, De Gaulle may be competing with the U. S. for the favor of Spain. Spec ulation to this effect stems from recent French actions, which have blocked British entry into the Common Mar ket. De Gaulle also hopes to reduce U. S. influence in Western Europe. A French Spanish rapproachoment may be an important step toward this goal. Spain's over-all diplomatic aim is to win full acceptance within the Western communi ty of nations. For some years after World War II Spain was shunned by most of the free world countries, which gen erally characterized Franco's regime as fascist. An end to isolation began in 1953, when the U. S. and Spain signed the bases agree ments. Since then, Spain has joined other international or ganizations, including the UN. Boon for classed as Lanrlscane Manace ment areas, and preservation of the scenic qualities is of paramount importance. The remnvnl nf riniun lim. ber was accomplished through commercial timber sale pro cedure. Four snips inlalllnc, 500,000 board feet were sold. Succesful bidders were S. and W. Logging company, Wayne Ash Logging company, and Spencer Logging com pany. FollowillB this. Orcffnn sfnfn highway department crews joined torest service crews in piling and burning what was left after the logging opera tion. Clyde White and Lee Curry, section foremen, di rected highway department personnel, while Lowell Ash, lire control officer at Union Creek, supervised forest ser vice crews. After this phase was done, forest service crews moved into Muir Creek, Farewell Bend, and Natural Bridge campgrounds, where logging of the blowdown timber had been completed. The slumps of the uprooted trees present ed a problem, both from ihe standpoint of safety to camp ers and of unsighllincss. SAVE! SAVE! This Week's Special 200 AMP - JO BREAKER Complete with 5' x 2" Conduit, Meter Beie, Fittings t Breakers X SPECIAL PRICE ON WESIX WALL HEATERS 8-3 Rnge, Dryer Wirt 23c Ft. Built-in Ranges Universal Waste King Ilctiic Rinet Tee With Full Site Clin Dser 0pn Reduced to $185.00 CilOre league Bonus 20.00 This Week Only M6500 BROOKS 1116 North Riverside MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. pain-Emd 70-Year-Old Leader By PETER KNOX United Press International Old soldier Generalissimo Francisco Franco shows no signs of dying, but he might fade away. The tough, wily little Span ish leader, who turned TO last Dec. 4, appears in good health despite wishful rumors gen erated by his opposition. But he shows an increasing disposition toward relaxing the iron grip on the Spanish people which once character ized him. His doctors say he has no serious health problem apart from a partial paralysis of his left hand as a result of a Christmas Eve hunting acci dent at his El Pardo palace near Madrid in 1961. His activities seem to bear the doctors out. He is possessed of an energy enjoyed by few men his age; he personally pre sides over 14-hour cabinet sessions, travels frequently from one end of the country to the other and goes on hunt ing trips. Yet what many think he stood for is fading. The Falangc, a virile fascistic po litical force when his regime began, has degenerated to a grumbling voice in the back ground; the wealth of Spain, once so poorly distributed, has begun to spread; the na tion's formerly throttled newspapers have started pub lishing foreign policy editori als which do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the government and genuine criti cisms of government domestic policies. Little Political Interest Yet Spaniards seem to pay little attention to the coun try's political development. The foreign reporter encoun ters less spontaneous criti cism of government in bars, taxis and restaurants thm before the trend toward lib eralization began. Spaniards, many of them earning slightly more than a starvation wage for the first time in their Jives, are jam ming football stadiums and buying motor scooters, tran sistor radios and an extra pair Crews At Natural Bridge camp ground, the problems were solved by loading the massive stumps into dump trucks and hauling them away to an in conspicuous spot in the forest, miles away from Natural Bridge. This project was su pervised by Herbert E. Barth, forester in charge of recrea tion at Union Creek. Meanwhile, state highway department crews, taking ad vantage of the suitable wea ther, had cleared off the brush along the shoulders of the Crater Lake highway be tween Prospect and Union Creek. The brush along this sec tion of highway was encroach ing on the highway and was dutracting from the scenic qualities, in addition to being a safety hazard. According to Sabol, the brush clearing proj ect fits into the forest service concept of landscape manage ment. Restoration work will con tinue on the Union Creek recreation areas as long as the weather permits. Next to be treated arc the Union Creek and Woodruff Bridge camp grounds. - CIRCUIT PANEL $0050 07 ELECTRIC 772-5209 OREGON of shoes paying in install ments and their individual welfare interests them more than politics. Coupled with the political and economic changes is the possibilitiy that the "Caudil lo" might fade into the back ground. When he appointed his 67-year-old army buddy, Cap t.-Gen. Agustin Munoz Crandcs, former commander of the Blue Division, which fought with Germany against Russia in World War II as government vice president last July, he created a new post above ministerial rank. The decree specified that Munoz Grandes could substi tute for the chief of state for reasons of "absense, illness or incapacitation." Some observers speculated that Franco might be plan ning to let Munoz Grandes take over most of the work of governing, with Franco going into semi-retirement as titu lar head of state Though the generalissimo still charts the course for his ship of state, he lets the vice president take an occasional turn at the wheel. Could Solve Nightmare Munoz Grandes could be the solution to Spain's nation al nightmare, the problem of succession. Technically Spain is a kingdom without a king. A public referendum in 1947 indicated the people pre ferred to return to the mon archy, so Franco declared his country a kingdom and sub sequently said a king would take over when he ceased to rule. Presumably the king would be either Don Juan de Bour bon, County of Barcelona, or his son Prince Juan Carlos. Don Juan has never re nounced what he believes to be his right to be king; and his son is only 25 years old, five years shy of the age re quired by the law of succes sion. So Don Juan would be the likely candidate except that sources close to him say he wants more than the role of a mere figurehead. The law of succession calls for an interim rule, until the king has been for mally named, by a "council of the realm," presently headed by Estcban Bilbao, president of the Spanish parliament. Cortes Bilbao, however, Is rumored to be retiring soon CHOICE CHUCKS Pot Roasts Ground Beef-Stew Meat 49 ib. Cut & Wrapped CHOICE RIB Steak Prime Rib Roast Cut & Wrapped We Have LOCKER SPACE Available ALL CHOICE ff Framic Appears in and Munoz Grandes is un doubtedly the strongest and most influential member of the council. Hence, regardless of who was president, Munoz Grandes would probably dominate. In any case, with pressing problems like Spain's econo mic need for foreign markets (hinged to a great extent '.3 the country's bid for associa tion with the Common Mar ket), the renegotiation of the American bases in Spain, and Spain's weakening hold on its African possessions, Fran co is not likely to step down for awhile. Among the liberalizing steps which could mark the end of an era, the most recent one considered by the regime is a proposal to lift 'restric tions on Protestants and give them the heretofore unheard of rights to build their own schools, distribute Bibles and hold public office. Relax Press Censorship The most notable move to ward liberalization was the relaxation of press censorship announced last summer by new 40-year-old minister of information, Manuel Fraga Iribarne. Changes began occuring in formerly Isolated Spain in 1953, when Spain after be. ing rebuffed and quarantined by the United Nations sud denly became important to American world defense plan ners. The first influence to ward change in the interior came with the base construc tion program, which gave work to thousands of Span iards, poured money into the pockets of Spanish contrac tors, and brought about 2,000 American construction work ers, with their high standard of living and infectiously democratic ways Then came U.S. military forces, compounding the in fluence. In the meantime, Spain began to increase its economic contacts with other countries, saved from bank ruptcy by American aid By 1962 that aid totaled more than $1.6 billion. By 1962 also sunny picturesque Spain became one of the big gest tourist attractions in the world, and the foreign visi tors spent over $350 million in Spain last year. The German "economic miracle" was another influ. Feed Lot Beef-Primal Cuts CHOICE ROUNDS Round Steak, Roasts, Ground Beef, Sirloin Tips 63 ib Cut & Wrapped 69 c Lb. V2 or Whole LAM FULL LINE-BEEF, Nothing Down, Up to 4 Months to Pay On Approved Credit JOE DEENIN & RON METE Are Now At MEDFORD ICE COLD STORAGE PH. 779-1587 - 535 S. FIR MEAT CUT AND WRAPPED TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS Good Health ence on Spain s own mir acle." It funneled off tens of thousands of workers from Spain where Jobs were poor ly paid and not abundant, and gave them well-paid jobs in labor-short German fac tories. Many of them came jack, bringing money, indus trial skills they had learned, and ideas about social stand ards and human rights which seeped through the Spanish community. Still Totalitarian Stale In spite of Franco's appar ently relaxed grip, Spain is still basically a totalitarian state. Franco's 19-man cabinet in cludes eight military men, four Falangists, five ot indef inite political affiliation and two members of the Opus Dei, a relatively new power source in Spain. Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic political organiza tion, appears to be orientated toward economic and social reform without prejudicing the wealthy or the power of the reactionary sector of the Catholic hierarchy, a difficult task at best. One unique aspect of the Franco regime's political sys tem is the organism known as the Sindicatos. The Sindi- catos, g o v e r n m e n t run "unions" combining repre sentatives of labor, manage ment and government at every level and in every branch of industry, are the regime's substitute for free labor unions, which are out laweiV Strikes are also outlawed however the government im plicitly admitted the validity of localized labor disputes of a non-political nature when it reacted to last springs crip pling nationwide strike wave by declaring Labor Ministry courts competent to resolve such disputes. Opposition Parties Outlawed Political parlies, except the Falange, are officially out lawed in Spain, Among the most significant operating however are the Socialists, various middle of the road or slightly left of center demo cratic groups, the Basque and Catalonian separatists who cling to their impractical dreams of making their re spective provinces independ ent states, the extreme leftist Frente de Liberacion Popular and the Communists. Appar F SAL X GROUND BEEF L PATTIES K V Pis- Cut & Wrapped, Frozen BS Vi or LAMB & PORK Ura? ently the Socialists are the strongest numerically, but with perhaps only 20.000 ac tive supporters in Spain. The military forces jre largely political, and would probably be the most Gtab.e element on the political scene if Franco were to die tomor row. The top generals are pro-Franco and would prob ably rally with their troops under Munoz Grandes' ban ner. The reason behind much oi the liberalization is Spain's desperate need to build up its economy. Franco knows he must deal with other Western nations, but to do so he needs a degree of political respec tability in the eyes of the Western democracies. Let liberty is habit -form ing. To retract a freedom cre ates greater resentment than, to maintain totalitarianism. It is hard to predict when, if ever, Spaniards will have a voice in their government. but the circumstances of an aging dictator and a vital economic need have forced Franco to break the mold of the past. It is the end of an era but not the end of Franco. Olds Appointed As Enlisted Advisor Sgl. First Class Kenneth D. Olds has been appointe en listed adviser to the Second battalion, 414 regiment of Medford, according to Lt. Col. John F. Rush, CE, USAR, commanding officer. Sergeant Olds appointment comes from the X Corps, Ft. Lawton, Wash. He has com pleted 34 months of duty at Augsburg, Germany, with tha Southern Area command. Sergeant Olds enlisted in the United States Army in 1941 and served in the Asiatic-Pacific area. He is a vet eran of the Papuan and New Guinea theaters with the 201st Signal depot. In Korea, he served with the Korean Central command. He is a native of Grass Valley, Ore. His service deco rations include the Ameri can Defense Service medal, Asiatic-Pacific, Phillippi e Liberation, National Defense and United Nations medals. L CHOICE LOINS T-Bone, Sirloin, Fillets 89cib- Cut & Wrapped $9 U 45 Wholt FREE 47S 45S
