Spain Watches North African Crisis
MOWRER, RICHARD SCOTT
Will Morocco become involved? Spain Watches North African Crisis By Richard Scott Mowrer Madrid Like the rest of the world, Spain is watching the dramatic events in France and Algeria with bated...
...The governing parties of these two countries have supported the decision reached at Tangier to create an Algerian government-in-exile...
...If hard-pressed rebel forces find refuge across the border in Tunisia or Morocco, or if they are allowed by these countries to regroup and re-equip on their soil, the French Army in North Africa is less likely now than ever to stand by idly...
...If the Algerian crisis spreads and overlaps far into Morocco, Spain will be directly concerned...
...Although Tunisia and Morocco presumably fear extension of the Algerian crisis, they are at the mercy of frontier incidents instigated by Algerian rebels on their soil...
...3. Tunisian and Moroccan involvement...
...Under Pierre Pflimlin's Premiership, additional funds to carry on the war were voted, the duration of military service was extended, and reinforcements sent to Algeria...
...There are still substantial French forces in Tunisia and Morocco...
...Some 220,000 Spaniards live in Morocco and 50,000 Spanish troops are stationed there...
...Spain Watches North African Crisis By Richard Scott Mowrer Madrid Like the rest of the world, Spain is watching the dramatic events in France and Algeria with bated breath, but in addition there is the uneasy feeling that the crisis will assume international proportions and that Spain will become involved...
...5. Counter-reflex...
...General de Gaulle can hardly pledge less...
...Tunisia and Morocco feel obligated not to deny assistance to the rebels...
...4. French reflex...
...Viewed from here, the pattern of danger looks like this: 1. Stepping up the war in Algeria...
...The Moroccan Government has demanded that these troops be withdrawn from the area, but compliance would help the rebels and in its present mood the French Army is unlikely to acquiesce...
...These forces can be expected to react, in coordination with the French in Algeria, should the Algerian rebels produce a government-in-exile based either in Tunisia or Morocco...
...Whether or not Paris and Algiers effect a reconciliation, both are in agreement on this issue...
...More important, it may announce the formation of an Algerian government-in-exile...
...Faced with the most vigorous military counter-measures they will have experienced to date, the Algerian rebels may resort to internationalization of the war as a means of impeding the French and saving themselves...
...They cannot vigorously impose control of these Algerians—assuming they are able to do so—without being denounced by the Moslem world as traitors to Arab nationalism...
...General Franco's Government remains noncommittal regarding the French crisis, but tacit approval of the Algiers generals' revolt is undeniable, particularly in Army circles...
...2. Rebel reactions...
...French estimates recently put the number in Tunisia at 6,000...
...If such a government is set up on Tunisian or Moroccan soil, the Algiers generals could consider this a provocation to war...
...The French have some 30,000 troops in Morocco...
...To counter the effects of the large-scale fraternization that appears to have taken place between Algerian Frenchmen and Moslems, the Algerian rebel movement is likely to step up terrorism...
...The conviction is strong that only firmness, backed by a willingness to fight, can stop the "rot" in North Africa...
...In authoritarian Spain, concern over the ultimate fate of democracy in France is hardly noticeable...
...Now that the French Army in Algeria has virtually renounced allegiance to Paris, it has practically unlimited freedom of action to carry on the war as it sees fit...
...The big worry is North Africa, studded with explosive hazards...
...At the Tangier conference in April, support of the Algerian nationalist cause was pledged...
...A considerable proportion of these are established along the Algerian frontier to prevent assistance from filtering eastward to the Algerian nationalists...
...We are determined," said Pflimlin recently, "to make the necessary effort to establish in Algeria a just and humane peace which will be the fruit of the courage and victory of our soldiers...
Vol. 41 • June 1958 • No. 23
