SINISTER MOVE IN

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 9

SINISTER MOVE IN

SPANISH WRANGLE?

ITALY-NAZI PLAN. London and Paris Suspect Latest Proposals. COUP DE GRACE FOR LOYALISTS United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, July 2. The Italian Embassy has issued a statement jointly with the German in regard to the situation of maritime control in Spain. The official report states:— '"The Italian and German Governments, after close consultation, are firmly resolved to maintain the principle of lion-intervention, but the FrancoBritish proposals to take over naval patrol cannot be considered as they disturb impartiality of control in favour of one of the combatants." Italy and Germany suggest that all interested Powers grant belligerent rights, which would strengthen nonintervention and have the following advantages: — (1) The two Spanish parties will have to assume towards neutral States full responsibility for the conduct of warfare on air, land and sea. (2) The patrol system, which has failed utterly, would be unnecessary. (3) Serious loopholes in non-inter-vention would be eliminated, inasmuch as ships flying either the Spanish flag or the flag of non-liuropean countries would be submitted to an effective form of control by both combatants. The statement adds: "Observation on land frontiers in Spain should be maintained, also supervision at ports with observers embarked on ships flying the flag of non-intervention countries." It is indicated at Whitehall that this ingenious proposal to use the non-inter-vention scheme to give the Government of Spain a coup de grace and to make Britain and France parties to such action, is not acceptable in London or Paris.

Recognition of belligerency would enable the rebel fleet, with clandestine Italian and German support, to blockade the Loyalist coast, while France and Britain, through observation of land frontiers, would cut off supplies of war material from the Government.

It is becoming evident that behind the Italo-German manoeuvres, is the intention to gain a footing in the western Mediterranean while they promote a state of uncertainty in Europe.

Neither Britain nor France can allow their interests to be thus seriously menaced.