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withdrew the dispute from the U.N.
arena and attempted to play down
the controversy. The tone of both
sides became more moderate.
The Gibraltar issue !ay dormant
for over two years. Then Bravo's
policy of forbearance began to pay
off.
During a visit to Gibraltar in Oc–
tober 1971, Sir Alee Douglas-Home,
the British foreign secretary said he
intended to accept a Spanish in–
vitation to "think together" on the
Gibraltar guestion.
This British willingness to talk
was believed to be partially dueto a
shift in sentiment among the Gi–
braltarians themselves. Though still
opposed to a transfer of sovereignty,
they had begun urging Britain to
work out sorne sort of compromise.
Tn late February 1972, the British
foreign secretary met his counter–
part in Madrid, and the dialogue
began. Numerous sessions were held
in both London and Madrid in sub–
sequent months, but no tangible re–
sults were forthcoming . The
meetings, termed sessions of "work–
ing together" and "thinking to–
gether," never reached the stage of
formal negotiations.
Heat Turned On - Again
Then during an extensive cabinet
reshuffie in June 1973, of the same
type which had brought him into
office in 1969, Lopez Bravo was re–
moved from office. He was replaced
by Laureano Lopez Rodo. With Lo–
pez Rodo carne a new, vigorous ap–
proach to the Gibraltar issue.
Spain broke off talks with Britain,
citing British infringements of Span–
ish airspace and territorial waters,
threatening to intensify its already–
tight blockade of the colony.
In September, Lopez Rodo took
the dispute back to the United Na–
tions with a speech before the Gen–
eral Assembly.
Spain has suggested that if no
agreement is forthcoming, she will
consider cutting British imports to
Spain - a flourishing British market
- by rnillions of pounds each year.
This would remain in force until a
10
settlement is reached. In lieu of
trade ties with Britain, Spain would
turn to France, West Germany, and
Japan for manufactured goods.
Britain, of course, would not be
without her own economic weapon.
Spain could lose rnillions each year
should Britain impose restrictions
on Anglo-Spanish tourism.
"Siege Mentality"
After five years of blockade, the
inhabitants of Gibraltar today feel
confined and somewhat frustrated
despite their relative prosperity.
Except among the wealthy, who
can fly out whenever they feel
hemmed in, there is an almost uni–
versal sense of claustrophobia - a
"siege mentality" - among average
Gibraltarians.
No longer can they freely drive
across the border into Spain's Costa
del Sol region as in the past. Those
Gibraltarians of British stock can no
longer motor through Spain and
France and borne for the holidays as
before the blockade. Now they must
fly. Or they can put their cars on the
ferry to the Moroccan port of Tan–
gier, then transfer lo another ferry
which travels to the Spanish coast
cities of Malaga or Algeciras. But
such round-about trips are time
consuming and expensive.
With Spain no longer an easily
accessible recreational outlet, many
less-affiuent Gibraltarians have had
to look harder for diversions on the
Rock. More and more people are
saving up for the extra expense in–
volved in fiying to Spain for a sum–
mer vacation.
And Gibraltarians, like people
elsewhere in Europe, are beginning
to feel the pinch of inflation and
increased freight charges.
But the pressure has not weak–
ened their adamant stand against
coming under Spanish sovereignty.
The Future
Various solutions have been pro–
posed to the "Gibraltar Question."
All, thus far, have been discarded as
unsatisfactory by one or both sides.
Spain, for example, has said that
in return for British recognition of
Spanish sovereignty, arrangements
could be worked out whereby Gi–
braltar would retain its political sys–
tem, and Britain could keep her
naval base under lease. The pro–
posa!, however, has failed to im–
press the Gibraltarians, who feel
that under such an arrangement
they could not maintain the rights
inherent in British citizenship.
British author Paul Einzig, in his
book
Decline and Fa//?
(written dur–
ing the last British Labour Adminis–
tration), observes that Britain has
put up a stiff fight for Gibraltar
"solely because the claimant hap–
pens to be Franco's Spain." Dr. Ein–
zig asserts that " if the Spanish
Republic had not been overthrown
before the war, Gibraltar would
have been handed over on a silver
platter to a fellow Socialist regime
long before now."
With this in mind, sorne see a
possible long-range solution in the
context of wider European unity
now that Britain is a member of the
Common Market. (Gibraltar auto–
matically became associated with
the EEC when Britain acceded to
the Community in 1973.)
The possible future entry ofSpain
into the EEC - combined with a
little gentle persuasion from Britain
- might cause the Gibraltarians to
become less intransigent. In–
tegration within the framework of
Europe could lead Spain and Brit–
ain to a more determined effort to
resolve their one bone of contention
- the sovereignty of Gibraltar.
However, the outcome that Gi–
braltarians most fear - complete
withdrawal of British support -
may yet prove to be the order of the
day. lf it were expedient, politically
or otherwise, Britain would most
probably relinguish Gibraltar. After
al!, the Rock would not be the first
territory to suffer a Jack of resolve
on the part of Britain.
For additional reading con–
cerning the ultimate destiny of Gi–
braltar, write for our free book,
The
United States and British Common–
wealth in Prophecy.
o
PLAIN TRUTH September 1974