WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22243, 6 November 1937, Page 17

WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS

MEETING SPANISH PARTIES SUBMITTING PROPOSALS TO BRITAIN DISPATCH OF COMMISSIONS SUGGESTED 9 (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received November 5, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, November 4. A result of the plenary session of the Non-Intervention Committee is that the chairman (Lord Plymouth) is communicating to the British Government proposals in accordance with the resolution agreed to at the last meeting of the sub-committee, for transmission to the two parties in Spain. The committee, before adjourning, agreed to his asking the British Government to treat the matter as urgent. The full committee approved of the resolution submitted to it by the > sub-committee, but the Soviet Ambassador (M. Maisky), as before, abstained from voting in respect of those parts of the texts relating to belligerent rights. The resolution provides for an immediate approach to the Spanish parties to secure their concurrence in the proposals:

(1) For the withdrawal under international supervision of all nonSpanish combatants; (2) For the dispatch to each side in Spain of commissions to estimate the volunteers, to concert the withdrawal arrangements with the Spanish authorities, and to carry out in a manner determined by the NonIntervention Committee the withdrawal from both sides in accordance with the proportion of the numbers serving on each side. In seeking the parties’ concurrence, the chairman will inform them that each of the non-interven-tion Powers will grant them belligerent rights according to the British plan—that is, after the withdrawals have made substantial progress and are proceeding satisfactorily.

Restoring Frontier Control The resolution further provides: (1) That as from a date to be determined by the Non-Intervention Committee shortly before the withdrawal of non-Spanish nationals begins, observation on the FrancoSpanish and Portuguese-Spanish frontiers should be restored and strengthened, simultaneously with the adoption of measures to strengthen the sea observation scheme; (2) That each of the participating Governments should reaffirm its existing engagements not to permit the dispatch from, or transit through or over its territories, of arms or war material covered by the nonintervention agreement, or of nonSpanish nationals proposing to proceed for the purpose of taking part in the conflict.

The committee also agreed to-day that pending replies fpom the Spanish parties, the sub-committee should continue the examination of concrete questions in connexion with the proposals, also the question of the situation arising from the abstention of Russia from the acceptance of the part of them referring to belligerent rights.

Count Grandi said that the Soviet had attempted a last-minute camouflage and refusal with its so-called abstention. It must not be thought that the British plan was regarded as an ideal solution, but the Italian Government had seen in the plan perhaps the last possible attempt to conciliate the different viewpoints. Italy’s acceptance was still conditional on the unreserved acceptance of all members, therefore the committee was not in a position to execute the plan until either the Soviet accepted or the Powers agreed to measures for facing the serious consequences of the Soviet abstention.

AIR ATTACK ON SHIP SEVERAL OP CREW INJURED LONDON, November 4. A running air fight off Mataro followed an attack from the air on the French merchantman La Corse, which refused to stop when ordered to abandon ship by a three-engined war aeroplane, which dived down and bombed and machine-gunned the decks, wounding some of the crew, who sent out an SOS to Barcelona and then took to the boats. Meanwhile three Government fighters engaged the attacking aeroplane. One Government machine was shot down and the pilot parachuted to the sea, where he was rescued by a fisherman. .Two French warships went at full speed from Barcelona, but the aeroplane had been driven off when they reached the La Corse, to which the crew returned. The vessel is, now heading for Marseilles. Insurgent aeroplanes bombed Barbastro, near Lerida, and machinegunned the people in the streets. Seventy were killed and many were wounded. A number of buildings was destroyed.