Lifeline Trouble

While French and British diplomats fenced with Italy last week on the problem of withdrawal of foreign volunteers in Spain (see above), French and British staff officers had deliberated a situation even more critical in the Balearic Islands. Secret agents at Palma, Majorca had noted unusual activity among the Rightist garrison and the 20,000 Italian troops quartered there, reported that an attempt was about to be made to seize the Leftist island of Minorca. The British and French have been thick in the western Mediterranean ever since the Spanish civil war began, and the New York Times was authority for the announcement that "Precautions were ordered that both British and French vessels should be in evidence to prevent any attempted seizure [of Minorca] by anyone else."

Slantwise across the Mediterranean lie the 15 Balearic Islands, of which three-Majorca, Minorca and Iviza--are large enough to show even on small scale maps. For over 200 years, Britain has cast hungry eyes on these islands that parallel her lifeline to the East, and in 1708, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Britain actually captured Minorca, held it on and off for over 50 years and held Majorca almost as long. Three years ago it was no secret to European war offices that British firms and British military engineers were said to be building vast fortifications around the harbors of Majorca and Minorca. Nevertheless, when, a year ago, Italy virtually seized Majorca and Iviza in the name of General Franco, Britain held her peace for the reason that Minorca, easternmost of the three islands and most important with regard to Britain's lifeline, remained safe in Leftist hands, and Minorca has about the finest natural harbor in the Mediterranean at Port Mahon.

France too, has a lifeline in the Mediterranean. It crosses Britain's practically at right angles, passes very close to Minorca. To defend her formidable Maginot Line of fortresses against Germany, France must be able to draw troops and supplies from North Africa, from Algiers or Oran to Marseille. Transports on that line pass within plain sight of Minorca.

Since the non-intervention patrol, and particularly since the "piracy" patrol British and French ships have mutually used strategic Port Mahon as an anchorage--one more reason for that extraordinary harmony of Franco-British policy which even the Germans were admiring last week (see col. 3).

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