CONTROL EFFORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 11

CONTROL EFFORTS

LITTLE PROGRESS

PRESS DISAPPOINTMENT

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, December 24.

Disappointment is expressed in the newspapers at the terms' of the Nonintervention Committee's communique, which shows little progress towards the establishment of an agreed system of international supervision over Spanish frontiers and ports.

Conditions, criticisms, and reservations are attached by Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Russia to their replies to the request of the French and British Governments that they co-operate in the first place in ending foreign intervention and later in mediating between the parties to the Spanish conflict in order to obtain their consent to an armistice.

The Anglo-French proposals for the supervision of imports of arms, munitions, and volunteers have been placed before the rival parties in Spain, but have been met at Burgos with a series of questions which the Press regards as designed to waste time rather than produce constructive replies. The Spanish Government's reply accepting the proposals in principle but reserving the right to reject them either wholly or in part is also regarded as unhelpful. "The Times" says: "The replies of the Spanish rivals do not matter nearly so much as the intentions of the three major Powers whose answer to the committee is now awaited. If they prefer to continue to back their political fancies Mn Spain they may do more than prolong the Spanish conflict. They may, indeed, extend it. "As many foreigners as Spaniards are believed to have fallen in the defence of Madrid during the past month, That the vast majority of Germans, Russians, and Italians now engaged in the Spanish massacre have not gone there against the wishes of their Governments admits of rip doubt,_ First to seal up the Spanish conflict and then to bring pressure to bear for peace is the sole course by which any outside Power can hope to profit."

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