"The Marquis Just Smiled"

Congressman James J. Murphy, Staten Island Democrat, lolled expansively in a plush, flower-filled hotel suite far from home--in Madrid, of all places. Congressman Murphy beamed and waved a 10-in. cigar: "Wonderful people, these Spaniards. I am here absolutely on my own. I'm paying my own bills. But I just happened to mention to one of these marquises that for sightseeing I missed my own car. In an hour a magnificent car was at my disposal. Of course, I volunteered to pay for the gas, but the marquis just smiled as though he thought I was joking."

Congressman Murphy and Mrs. Murphy had just dropped into the capital by air. Meanwhile, six other U.S. Congressmen were welcomed over the border in Catalonia by a brass band and flower girls. Then they proceeded to Barcelona, accompanied by Pablo Merry del Val, the

Spanish cultural counselor in Washington, who speaks fine Oxford English. They were banqueted and shown through factories; they went shopping, and saw a bullfight.

On Sunday Congressman Keogh of New York and Congressman Poage of Texas announced: "We want to find out for ourselves about freedom of religion in Spain." They attended services at a Protestant church; a third visitor went to a synagogue; a fourth went to Catholic Mass. "What was your impression?" inquired suave Merry del Val. Replied the Congressmen: "We are going to have a talk with certain correspondents back in Washington." They obviously referred to correspondents who, they thought, had exaggerated religious suppression in Spain.

The Barcelona group was soon joined by Senator Brewster of Maine and Congressman Cooley of North Carolina. In Madrid, Congressman Murphy took his wife to a bullfight. Just as the matador was about to dedicate his fourth bull to Mrs. Murphy, the heavens opened and torrential rain fell, the bullfight was called off, and Mrs. Murphy's brand-new black Spanish mantilla was ruined. "Never mind, dear," said Congressman Murphy, "we will be back next year and we will see another from the United States ambassador's box." (The U.S., Britain and France have signified their disapproval of the Franco regime by withdrawing ambassadors from Madrid.)

Congressmen Murphy set the week's high mark in sightseeing--he saw the Falange headquarters and General Francisco Franco. Nattily togged out in a grey nylon shirt and grey suit, Murphy arrived at the guarded gate of El Pardo in a yellow government car, and was welcomed by the Caudillo in a blue civilian suit.

Said Congressman Murphy, after the interview: "The Generalissimo is a plain, simple, intelligent man. He is a lovable, lovable person. What surprised me is his sense of humor. We really should have an ambassador here. This is the world's most anti-Communist state."

No doubt of it--there really was a considerable influx of U.S. lawmakers to Spain last week, and more loomed on the horizon. Speaking through its Madrid embassy, the U.S. State Department set the situation in its proper light: the visitors were just "distinguished Americans on a private tour."

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