The Press TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1937. Volunteers or Spain

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21988, 12 January 1937, Page 8

The Press TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1937. Volunteers or Spain

The texts of the Russian, German, and Italian replies to the joint British and French, note proposing prohibition of the entry of volunteers into Spain have I now been published. All are discursive and abusive documents arid all qualify their assent to the proposal with long lists of conditions. The German arid Italian Governments, which have collaborated in their replies, rebut with noisy indignation the implied, charge that they are responsible for the volunteer problem' and draw attention to their “ fruitless efforts,” in the earlier stages of the civil war, to secure adoption of the very measures which Great Britain and France are now sponsoring. : In the French press this is denounced as hyprbcrisy; and no doubt it is hyprocrisy. But by originating the policy of non-intervention and then, through fear of complications, failing to press vigorously for its observance, the British and the French Governments have left themselves without an answer to attacks of this sort. “The spasmodic and partial measures which Great “Britain and France have hitherto applied to “non-intervention,” says the Italian Government, “ can only produce inadequate, uncer- “ tain, and dangerous results.” Every word of that is true. Unfortunately there is still no indication that the British and French Governments understand the lesson which is being read to them. Once again they are proposing measures, the consequences of which they are unwilling to accept. At the same time, as they are proposing a ban on ihe entry of volunteers into Spain they are intimating that they regard a blockade of Spain by land and sea,as “impracticable.” Yet without such a blockade the “ effective supervision ” demanded by Russia, Germany, and Italy as a condition of an agreement to prohibit volunteers is impracticable. And since both the British and the French Governments have admitted that the agreement not to supply munitions to either side in Spain is being violated, they can hardly, argue that supervision is not necessary. The Italian Government adds to its demand for effective supervision the very sensible proposal that the London committee, on non-intervention should be disbanded, on the ground that its authority and prestige are being rapidly undermined. Since the committee does not consist of plenipotentiaries and since no powers of any importance have been'delegated to it, it has served merely as a convenient ineans of sidetracking inconvenient accusations and proposals. The problems arising out of the nonintervention agreement could be dealt with more effectively and more expeditiously by direct negotiation among the governments concerned. In the meantime, international complications are accumulating round the Spanish affair with frightening rapidity. Off the northern coast of Spain attempts to blockade rebel ports are almost daily leading to such .incidents hs could be used in pretext for war; and it. is now apparent that the Palos incident very nearly, did bring war. A few days ago German troops were landed in Morocco; and now the French fleet is' cruising in Moroccan waters. If the situation continues to deteriorate, a war must occur. In that event, the British and French Governments will not be able to lay all the blame on the three powers which are now actively intervening in Spain. Their own failure to accept the implications and responsibilities of the non-interventio.i agreement, remorselessly exposed in the German and Italian notes, [will have contributed to the disaster. -