Chomsky on Anarchism.pdf - Zine Library

OBJECTIVITY AND LIBERAL SCHOLARSHIP
The United States, like France. exhibited less iniriarive in these events than
Great Britain, which had far more substantial economic interests in Spain and
was more of an independent force in European affairs. Nevertheless, the
American record is hardly one to inspire pride. Technically, the United States
adhered (Q a position of strict nClI(raliry. However, a careful look raises some
doubts. According to information obtained by Jackson, "the American colonel
who headed the Telephone Company had placed private lines at the disposal
of the Madrid plotters for their conversations with Generals Mola and
Franco, "137 just prior to the insurrection on July 17. In August, the American
government urged the Martin Aircraft Company not to honor an agreement
made prior [Q the insurrection ro supply aircraft to the Republic, and it also
pressured the Mexican government not to reship to Spain war materials purchased
in the United States.138 An American arms exporter, Robert Cuse,
insisted on his legal right to ship airplanes and aircraft engines to the Republic
in December ] 936, and rhe Stare Department was forced to grant authorization.
Cuse was denounced by Roosevelt as unpatriotic, though Roosevelt was
forced to admit that the request was quite legal. Roosevelt contrasted the attirude
of orher businessmen (0 euse as follows:
72
Well, these companies went along with the request of the
Government. There is the 90 percent of business that is honest,
r mean ethically honest. There is the 90 percent we are always
pointing at with pride. And then one man does what amounts
to a perfecriy legal but thoroughly unpatriotic act. He represents
the 10 percent of business that does not live up to the best standards.
Excuse the homily, but I feel quite deeply about it. 139
Among the businesses that remained "ethically honest" and therefore did not
incur Roosevelt's wrath was the Texaco Oil Company, which violated its contracts
with the Spanish Republic and shipped oil instead to Franco. (Five
rankers that were on rhe high seas in July 1936 were diverted to Franco, who
received six million dollars worth of oil on credit during the Civil War.)
Apparenriy, neither the press nor the American government was able to discover
this fact, though it was reported in left-wing journals at the time.140
There is evidence that the American government shared the fears of Churchill
and others about the dangerous fo rces on the Republican side. Secretary of
State Cordell Hull, for example, informed Roosevelt on July 23, 1936, that
"one of the most serious factors in this situation lies in the fact that the
[Spanish] Government has distributed large quantities of arms and ammunition
into the hands of irresponsible members of left-wing political organizations."141
Like Churchill, many responsible Americans began to rethink their attitude
towards the Republic after the social revolurion had been crushed.142
However, relations with Franco continued cordial. In 1957, President
Eisenhower congratulated Franco on the "happy anniversary" of his rebel-