MR. EDEN REVIEWS SPANISH SITUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 7

MR. EDEN REVIEWS SPANISH SITUATION.

OPTIMISTIC TONE.

Modified Stand of Italy And Germany.

MANY PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

British Official Wireless.

(Received 12 noon.) RI'GBY, October 21. Parliament reassembled to-day and in the House of Commons the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, opened a debate on international affairs in a crowded House. The Russian, Belgian, Argentine, Spanish and Chinese Ambassadors listened to speeches from the Distinguished Strangers' Gallery.

Mr. Fden began by reviewing events in the Mediterranean. He said the British <iovcrnment would not cease to he sincerel for the part played liv the signatories to the Xvuii anti-

piracy agreement. After Italy's reply to the invitation to join the tripartite conversation, France and Britain had thought it only fair to make it plain that if the NonIntervention Committee could not achieve results within a limited period, those Governments would have to be free to resume l : berty of action. The British Government did this not because it ceased to believe in nonintervention, but because no Government could continue to associate itself for an indefinite period with an international agreement that was constantly being violated.

At the end of Tuesday's meeting of the Non-intervention Committee, Air. Eden confessed he saw no alternative but that next day the committee should report failure, with all the consequences that such a decision must inevitably entail, but at the eleventh hour there came a new and welcome contribution by Italy.

Difficulties of Withdrawal. The chief difficulty regarding with(l in will of volunteers had been the relation in time between such withdrawals and the granting of belligerent rights. On this issue, both Italy and (ierniany had substantially modified their attitudes.

A second stubborn difficulty had been the proport ions of withdrawals from either side on which, without proof of numbers, it would have been virtually impossible to reach agreement. Here, too. Italy had proposed a solution which should be acceptable.

The lSritish (Jovernment was in full accord with this sincerely appreciated contribution to international agreement which these two concessions undoubtedly implied.

"I should be the last to indulge in exaggerated optimism," said Mr. Eden. "There are problems enough and to spare still outstanding, but to-day there are real chances of making progress. The British Government will spare no endeavour to see that this progress proceeds speedily and unchecked."'

With this end in view the Non-Inter-vention Committee will meet again tomorrow when he hoped replies from all Governments to Italy's new offer would be received.

Mediterranean Position. Mr. Eden denied reports that yesterday the Kriti«h <Government took some new decision to modify its action. He said he was convinced the British people were united and emphatic in not wishing the 1 Government to take sides in Spain, anil ill wishing the <Government to do everything in its power by example and by conference not to let the principle of non-intervention lie finally and irrevocably thrown over.

Non-intervention, however, must be sharply distinguished from indifference respecting territorial integrity of Spain or of British Imperial communications through the Mediterranean.

"Let me, therefore, once again make it plain that our rearmament bears in it neither overt nor latent strains of revenge either in the Mediterranean or elsewhere. Our position in the Mediterranean is simply that we mean to maintain a rijiht of way on this main arterial road. We have never asked and do not ask to-day that this right should be exclusive.

"The Government is conscious that foreign intervention in Spain is responsible for preventing all progress towards international appeasement. Anyone who wanted to see how completely bad its effect had been should have been at the League Assembly this year."

The Foreign Secretary added that once the Spanish question and its attendant problems, strategical and political, cease to be a nerve centre of international policy it would be possible for Mediterranean nations to seek, in friendly conversations among themselves, to restore relations of traditional amity existing between them in the past.

The Far East Situation. Turning to the Ear East, the Foreign Secretary said the paramount desire of everyone must be to see an end put to slaughter, suffering and misery. The British Government would enter the Brussels conference with determination to do everything in its power to assure the success of its labours.

Mr. C. R. Attlee, Labour leader, complained that throughout Mr. Eden's speech he had seemed to reiterate that the only things which inspired the Government's policy were the interests of British Imperialism. The Labour party, he declared, stood for rule of law and development of the Commonwealth of Nations, but the Government

was back in pre-war days narrowly viewing what Labour believed a fallacy. The lesson of Nv on was that when Britain, in conjunction with other Governments, was prepared to act firmly results accrued.

Sir Archibald Sinclair, for the Liberals, • said he thought the response to Mr. Roosevelt inadequate regarding the Far East. While urging the use of pressure to bring peace if persuasion failed, Sir Archibald thought the nation which must take the lead in such matters was the j United States with her immense in- I terests in China and her lack of pre-1 occupations in Europe.