1938: Gibraltar

Great Britain's historic fortress at the western gateway of the Mediterranean has been increasingly threatened during recent years by the intervention of Italy and Germany in the Spanish civil war. Both the Gibraltar harbor and the Imperial communications through the Straits have been jeopardized by long-range guns which Italy and Germany are reported to have placed at Algeciras, Ceuta, and other strategic points. In reply to frequent questions from both Opposition and Conservative Members of Parliament, British Government spokesmen have admitted the existence of such guns but have maintained that Gibraltar defenses were adequate for any attack. The Government insisted that protection of Gibraltar was under careful review in the Committee of Imperial Defense and promised to undertake any necessary modernization of the fortress and provide additional anti-aircraft and artillery equipment. Although permanent Italian and German domination in the Baleric Isles, Spanish Morocco, and Spain itself would constitute a serious threat to Gibraltar and British interests, the Government declined during 1938 to assist the Loyalist régime, and also refused to grant belligerent rights to General Franco.