1. STATEMENTS OF MANUEL JIMENEZ FERNANDEZ 2. INTERVIEW WITH INDALECIO PRIETO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004600660001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 12, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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COUNTRY Spain
SUBJECT 1. Statei:ients of ??1-nuel Jil '.:d ~Z Fernandez
Interview with Inda.leci o ~PaIEW
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1. The Seville Christian Democrat Manuel JII.'';i1,6Z Fernandez sent word to
Indalecio PRIETO about mid-March 1950 that he was much more optimistic
about the possi bi 1ity of replacing General FRAJ1,C0 than he had been six
months before. French travelers returning from Spain relayed to the
Socialist leader JIMEN Z Fernandez' adcacnition that pre-- rations should
be made for any sudden contingency.
JIF-1'JEZ k'ernandea stated that he would always be a re;)uulican. Le said
that he had told his 2:onarchist contacts that if the Monarchy were to
be installed throu;;h an agreement with FRA1C0, he would fight it, but
that if it came to _)ower through a Y)lebiscite, he would exact only two
conditions: that there be freedom of the ,cress and that a Democratic--
Christian minority be ;oer,.Iitted to function in the parliament with
freedom to criticize and to initiate legislation.
u. JR.--'..-hZ Fernandez renortedl.y asserted that the Socialist Party has gr!~at
prestige because of the humanitarian and liberal principles for which
FRI*;T0 stands, and. is inf'u.pntial not only with the Socialist working
class but also among laborers whom ho classified as C, tholic."
The most difficult mission of the government which succeeds FRAi;CO, in
JIi't~.i Z Fernandez' opinion, will uc, to exact just retribution for
crimes and abuses, es;}eci:lly for th. se whicia occurred in the post-
Civil 'tar ?eriod. He believes the t :strict justice must be modified
for the sake of keeping the people calm, and that a Christian Democrat
rather than a Socialist should uo charged -with tha -aunishu,:ent of
pro-FRA,14;CO ote:.i nts. Such a person ahculd be -are.~ared to sacrifice
his political future to this thaniale33 task. JI';'KJ. Z :Fernandez hiruaelf
offered to make the sacrifice.
5, l'r.I 1'0, commenting,, th}-.t throuelh inte.ra;Iittent iad.i.reet contacts with
JiII~;.I~;Z Fernandez he w.t.s aware of tide la:.tter's )osition, stated the>,t
while he himself did not believe thy.:, cri.,,os should go un:unished, he
favored a generous policy toward'_ fors; er ane,mies. e felt that it would
lie wise for the courts to aostoonre functioning on this matter until
passions had had time to subside and the judges had acquired a sense
of generosity and responsibility.
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6. It was PEIETOIS opinion that the historic repao?ican forces would di .)pear
from the political scene, leaving as vital factors only the Socialist labor
group and the labor group which he called Catholic. He believed that the
leader of the second group ought to be iIMENEZ Fernandez. (PRIVTO said
that it was kaowa in Spain that he, PRI &TO, was not a Catholic, and that
the Church would exert every effort to keep the Catholic labor group from
coining under Socialist control.) The Republic or the Monarchy, whichever
eventually should be established, sAoulcl function on this double labor
base. PRIETO advocated a process b, stages from military governiaent to
military and civilian government, a.-id finally to a civilian governcaer z
composed of all political groups ex-.apt Communists and Falangists. Such
a government would conduct eonstitu nt olectiona. The Socialist leader
said that he feared that a growing disillusionment among the people with
regard to the Western powers would leave little desire for democratic
formulae and could enable Communism to gain the support of large sections
of the laooring class.
7. The Socialist Party received ? lettar from the American CIO in early
March, PRIETO revealed, in which the Socialists were advised to crake
every effort to avoid any hostility with the Catholic masses in Spain
and to try to gain their confidence and sympathy. PRIETO considered
the American suggestion important. Socialist leaders subsequently m.at
at FRIETO' S home and Pascual TOMiAS, Secretary of the Union General de
Trabajadores, was appointed to confer as soon as possible with Cardinal
Archbishop SA'.LI. GN of Toulouse. The Socialist leaders, feeling that,
the Socialist lt:bar masses were not educated tc; such a move, agreed
that the approach should be made quietly and at a high level.
8. P. IETO'S French visitors commented that the obvious poverty of the
S a:-,nf sh people vas far more shocking than it h.td been when they `Ii +'.
last visited. Spr.in in October 1949. On the other hand, they reported,
the people seethed to be more hopeful for a charge of regime. When
asked who would replace NCO, the people usually replied, "A.WLNDA."
(Major General Antonio ARANDA Mata.) The visitors received the
impression that in spits of scant enthusiasm for .AMANDA personally,
the opinion was widely held that the Genera: was the only person,
capable of overthrowing FRNCO.
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