VOLUNTEERS IN SPAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 17

VOLUNTEERS IN SPAIN

# MR CHAMBERLAIN'S POSITION CABINET TO DISCUSS PROBLEM (inrrreD phess absociati'on-coptbight.) 3 (Received March 4, 4 p.m.) LONDON, February 3. Lord Plymouth's attempts to reassemble the Non-intervention Committee have failed. No basis for a compromise, it appears, can be reached. It is gathered that the position is so serious that Cabinet will take up the matter next week. Mr Chamberlain's problem is that he' has pledged himself to liquidate the Spanish question before implementing the Rome discussions. AcI cordingly, if an English and Italian 'agreement is achieved, but the I volunteers remain in Spain, he is ! threatened with failure on the issue ! on which Mr Eden resigned. I The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain), replying to a question in the House of Commons, said he did not propose to represent to the Italian Government that the presence of Italian troops in Spain was at variance with the clause in the Anglo-Italian declarations of February, 1937. binding both counjtri-- to maintain the status quo in the Mediterranean. Mr Chamberlain said that the clause to which, no doubt, reference was made was that under which the British and Italian Governments disclaimed any desire to modify or, Iso far as they were concerned, to see modified, the status quo as re-i gards the national sovereignty ol [territories in the Mediterranean area. | ! He added that he thought the House would agree that the mere presence of Italian troops in Spain could I hardly be said to entail modification of the status quo as it affected the national sovereignty of Spain. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir John Simon) said that no British loan to the Italian Government was contemplated. Asked for an assurance that there would be no such loan, Sir John Simon replied: "No such loan has been asked for, and I have no reason to suppose that it will be asked for." The British Ambassador to Rome (Lord Perth) will leave London on Saturday, and it is expected that the Eng'ish'and Italian talks will begin early next week. Mr Maurice Ingram, head of the Southern Department at the Foreign Office, will accompany Lord Perth and assist in the talks. The Associated Press mates that the conversations between Lord Perth and the Italian Foreign Minister (Count Ciano) will be more than exploratory, as their conclusions will figure in the actual agreement. This outlook, as far as it goes, is regarded as satisfactory, but an exceedingly troublesome, if not altogether ' surprising situation has arisen, namely the deadlock on the non-intervention proceedings which unless it is overcome, threatens to. check any success which might be achieved at Rome. CO-OPERATION OF POWERS WORK FOR WORLD PEACE LABOUR'S VIEW OF FOREIGN POLICY (BRITISH OFFICIAL WTIRELF.SB.) RUGBY, March 3. The national campaign "For Peace and Security," organised by the Labour Party will be opened by Mr C. R. Attlee (Leader of the Opposition) in Somerset on Sunday. Interviewed about the campaign, Mr Herbert Morrison said that it was planned some months ago, but the resignation of Mr Eden had now served to throw up in sharp contrast the foreign policy of the Government and that of the Opposition. He contended that the Labour Party genuinely sought peace with the peoples of Fascist States or their Governments, whenever those Governments were willing to co-operate in the establishment of real peace. "We do believe, however, that the most helpful avenue of advancp in the first instance is in the direction of more cordial co-operation for peace among all the States, including the United States, that are on the side of friendly co-operation for peaceful ends." Nevertheless, throughout the campaign, it would be made plain that in the Labour Party's view, the doors should be wide open for Germany, Italy, and Japan to enter to help to bring about economic justice for all countries, and mutual guarantees against external aggression. Believing that peace was indivisible, the Labour Party was ready and anxious for a genuine political, economic, and disarmament settlement with all the nations of the world. "BRITISH POLICY NOT CHANGED" i PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE TO MR LYONS (Received March 4, 1.20 p.m.) CANBERRA, March 4. The Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyons) announced that Cabinet was satisfied that there had been no change in the fundamentals of Britain's foreign policy. Whatever changes had been made were in method, not in principle. Mr Lyons added that he had received a message from Mr Chamberlain stating that Britain's policy had not changed since the Imperial Conference last year.