POWERS LOOK TO BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22142, 12 July 1937, Page 11

POWERS LOOK TO BRITAIN

NON-INTERVENTION COMMITTEE

FURTHER DIFFICULTIES AT MEETING (BaITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received July 11, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, July 9. A critical situation faced to-day's plenary meeting of the Non-inter-vention Committee. The speeches by the Ambassadors of Italy, France, Portugal, Russia, and Germany showed that their attitudes toward the rival schemes were unchanged. A more accommodating spirit was displayed after the luncheon adjournment, and ultimately a proposal was advanced by the Netherlands Minister in London that the British Government should be entrusted with the task of solving the impasse. The suggestion was supported by Signor Grandi (Italy), M. Charles Corbin (France), and Herr von Ribbentrop (Germany), and unanimously accepted. The chairman (Lord Plymouth) immediately said that he would convey the invitation to His Majesty's Government, and at a still later session for deciding on the terms of the communique, he announced that the British Government was prepared to undertake the task. At the same time he pointed out that the maximum co-operation for all concerned was essential. His Government fully recognised the urgency of the matter, and would deal with it with the least possible delay. He anticipated that the committee would be in a position to summon the representatives for a further consultation, probably early next week.

Observers and Patrols

M. Charles Corbin emphasised that the French Government had maintained unchanged opposition to the German and Italian proposals, and he intimated that it might be necessary at an early date next week to withdraw from the observers on the Franco-Spanish frontier the facilities they were now accorded if similar facilities were withheld from the observers on the PortugueseSpanish frontier. The controversial character of the speeches was a feature of the whole of the morning session, and the outlook was most unfavourable • at lunch. On the resumption, Lord Plymouth urged that the discussions could not continue in this vein, and he took strong exception to certain criticisms which had been made about the conduct of the British Government. If the other Powers had shown anything like the same desire strictly to observe non-inter-vention, the present position would not have arisen, he said. It was no longer a question of having satisfaction done in regard to the bombing of the Deutschland. With reference to the Leipzig incident, the British Government's attitude was clear, and it would be impossible to find a handful of people in England who would have consented to action being undertaken without an inquiry which would have enabled the partv blamed by Germanv to be heard. It was not Britain's fault that there were not more than the four Powers originally engaged in naval patrol work, and Britain's offer to assume with France the resoonsibility for the whole of the naval control work had been undertaken with reluctance.

Performance of Duties

It had been suggested in one or two directions that Britain did not carry out her duties imoartially. To convince them, the British Government offered to carry neutral observers on its ships, and it did not exclude any country whatever from the list from which such observers could be drawn. , . Nothing had arisen to .sad Britain to believe that the granting of belligerent rights would advance a soUition, and he thought the French reference about the maintenance of observers on the Spanish frontiers must be regarded as eminently reasonable. Lord Plymouth restated the British Government's view concerning the withdrawal of volunteers from Soain. and he said that he felt that the soeeches delivered would not be heioful in f'ndine a solution of the imnasse. The British Government, however, was still preoared to consider any practical proposal to that end.

PREVENTING SPREAD OF CONFLICT PRIME MINISTER STATES j POLICY (BaiTISB OFFICIAL WIB«LESS.) RUGBY, July 10. Referring to the international situation in a speech in the Albert Hall, the Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) emphasised that Britain's policy about Spain remained unchanged, namely, to prevent the conflict spreading. He considered that the difficulties could immediately be relieved if an agreement could be come to for the withdrawal of foreign volunteers, leaving Spain to settle her own future. The troubles that had arisen out of the civil war in Spain were only a by-product of the deeper causes of unrest in Europe. "I had hoped," Mr Chamberlain continued, "that the projected visit of the German Foreign Minister (Baron von Neurath) to London would have furnished an opportunity for exploring these difficult problems in a friendly, helpful spirit. I place great reliance upon personal contacts between influential statesmen, and I fully share the hope of the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) that some other occasion will present itself for discussions." As an example of the ease with which countries could reach an agreement if they were animated by