Christian Lheureux <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message news:<[log in to unmask]>...
> Michael Baier wrote :
>
>
> Why didn't the US declare war to the Spanish dictatorship of Gen. Francisco
> Franco, at the time so many American citizens (Ernest Hemingway comes to my
> mind, obviously) were fighting as private citizens in the ranks of the
> Republican army ?
>

Hemingway wasn't in the Republican, or any army or even the militias,
as was Orwell. Hemingway was in Spain covering the war as a newspaper
correspondant.

The answers to your Q are many. Roosevelt, as did the leaders of
France and England thought that intervention in Spain would lead to
another world war, esp. since Germany and Italy were aiding the
Nationalists. Secondly, many people thought that fighting against
Franco automatically meant that you were fighting for International
Communism. And many Catholics in the US actually supported Franco
since he seemed to support the church in Spain while the Republicans
seemed to be anti-Catholic. And Roosevelt was advised by Joe Kennedy
Sr that supporting the Republicans would lose him the Catholic vote.
Mrs. Roosevelt was for supporting the Republicans, and he wrote
afterards that not supporting Republican Spain was a mistake.

And keep in mind, there was a difference between supporting one side
or another and allowing arms to be sold to the legally constituted
government of another country. This is what should have been allowed
but wasn't, even though everyone knew Texaco was selling oil to the
Natioanlists. All those German and Italian tanks and planes needed
fuel.

hth
Pjk

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