“…Bilbao was in fact the moral capital of Basque separatism. It was the leading centre of British influence in Spain and of the systematic interference of London in Spanish internal politics, and was also one of the great strongholds of social Communism in Spain, the personal "fief" of the famous Indalecio Prieto, and the no less famous President Aguirre, whose names occupy an unforgettable place in the dramatic story of modern Spain, because their names are dripping with blood. …”

“…1939-06-20 012b-0027-003 -2- political crises each time Madrid attempted to resist the suffocating pressure of the two hegemonic capitals. Bilbao is the greatest industrial centre of Spain, and is even greater than Barcelona. …”