Article from The Reporter: "Heidelberg to Madrid - The Story of General Willoughby," by Frank Kluckhohn

1952). 25-30 steadity nes into Heidelberg to Madrid Is air and ourging orthern ere is a The Story of General Willoughby holding Baltic. remem- FRANK KLUCKHOHN orisoner undred- seaport Americans have, while P friendship of U.S. naval and air cir- Baltic, traveling in foreign countries, cles." When he was asked in a press Skager- often succeeded in embarrassing the conference. "Do you think it is the mili- herefore mencharged with carrying out the U.S. tary people of America who best under- aritime government's policies in those coun- stand Spain?" he answered, according key and tries. The most recent and striking to the story in the Madrid newspaper Stock- example of this was provided by Ya. "Yes, especially the naval people, s, if it Major General Charles A. Willoughby, who are very sensible." Swedes U.S. Army, retired, who last January we in turned up in Spain, where he was 'Safe Behind the Pyrenees' te that an honored guest of Generalissimo Although Willoughby described his brand Francisco Franco. Willoughby had stay in Spain as being "without official own in served as General of the Army Douglas character," his initial audience with a place MacArthur's chief of intelligence from Franco lasted an hour and three quar- 1941 throughout the Pacific war, the ters-extremely long for Franco audi- occupation of Japan, and the first ences. From that time until his de- stages of the Korean War, until Mac- parture from Spain in July, Willoughby Arthur's removal in April, 1951. He remained in constant contact with had retired from the Army in August, PLOYARDT Franco's Ministers. During Willough- 1951. and since then had played no Charles A. II illoughby by's stay at the Velasquez Hotel, the important part in MacArthur's New Generalissimo was at great pains to York headquarters. of the Spanish Army while its North provide him with government lim- Early in April of this year an Ameri- Atlantic Treaty partners are howling ousines and similar official amenities. can military mission arrived in Spain for matériel. During a lecture, in the course of to discuss with Franco and his Minis- Franco and his advisers feel that which Willoughby described Spain as ters the question of establishing U.S. Spain has a verv great deal to offer. "a cradle of supermen," he said, "I air and naval bases there. Before the The Americans, they believe, should be have come to Spain because I feel safer negotiations started, the members of prepared to accept and pay well for in Spain behind the Pyrenees than in the mission knew how delicate their their country's anti-Communist senti- Paris behind the Rhine." He neglected job would be made by the touchiness ments, the barrier of its towering Pvre- to explain why he wouldn't have felt of the Spaniards. But the Americans nees, and its 450,000-man army. The even safer staying in New York be- had little warning of the way their task $100 million set aside by Congress in hind the Atlantic, but the slur on would be complicated by Willoughby. August. 1950, for economic aid to NATO was obvious enough. The latter. by casting himself as a sort Spain Franco considered simply a Those who knew something of Wil- unofficial spokesman and go-between token. The first job the Americans loughby's background were not greatly with Franco, succeeded in building up faced, then, was to make it clear that surprised at his paying these sudden considerably the Caudillo's confidence they had not come to Spain to build a attentions to Generalissimo Franco. the bargaining table. Maginot Line along the Pyrenees or to John Gunther has reported that while The Pentagon had-and still has--- refloat the Spanish Armada. he was gathering material for his book a modest notion of Franco's military It was Willoughby who took it upon The Riddle of MacArthur, he was at worth The U.S. Navy wants only the himself to encourage, rather than help dinner one evening with Willoughby of anchorages rather than shore dispel such illusions on the part of the when the General suddenly proposed a installations in Spain: the Air Force Caudillo. At a moment when Ameri- toast to "The second greatest military does not consider the Iberian Penin- can negotiators felt particularly de- commander in the world. Francisco sula the hub of its global strategy: and pressed by the stiff Spanish demands, Franco" Arthur obviously being the U.S. Army has little inclination to Willoughby said in a speech to the the greatest). Willoughby told one Ma- try to replace the decrepit equipment Spaniards, "You can count on the drid audience that at the U.S. Army RTER 19. 1952 25