SITUATION IN SPAIN

Evening Star, Issue 22576, 18 February 1937, Page 11

SITUATION IN SPAIN

NON-INTERVENTION PUNS FRONTIER SUPERVISION Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 16. At a full meeting of the Non-inter-vention Committee, Herr von Ribhentrop welcomed the committee’s decision as the possible turning point. He announced that Germany was prepared to contribute financially to the immediate operation of land and sea control. He hoped Portugal would find a way to collaborate. Lord Plymouth urged tho necessity of immediate action. The Russian, French, and Italian representatives also issued statements expressing satisfaction. The Portuguese delegate declared that the dangers confronting Spain menaced the public order and the independence of Portugal. Nevertheless, it accepted the ban on volunteers, while reserving its attitude to the supervision proposals The ‘ Daily Telegraph’s ’ diplomatic correspondent understands that Portugal is willing to accept frontier supervision by Britain alone if other nations raise no objections. INFLOW OF ITALIANS RAPID DURING PAST FEW WEEKS. LONDON, February 17. (Received February 18, at 12.30 p.mA The diplomatic correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says: It is widely assumed that foreign Governments supporting Gcicrai Franco believe that they have supplied him with sufficient aid by the time non intervention is enforced successfully to finish the campaign. The inflow, especially of Italians, has been very rapid in the past few weeks, the total number of Italians having risen from 10.000 to 50,000. The * Manchester Guardian’s * diplomatic correspondent agrees that there are 50,000 Italians, with ample supplies of war material, at present in Spain, and adds that the despatch of Russian war material to the loyalists is being declined, French volunteering brought to, a standstill,, and a thousand disillusioned men are clamouring to be repatriated.

The campaign has become mainly an Italian war against the diminishing loyalist party, Germany now playing a minor part. It is reported that she does not desire to leave considerable forces in Spain when they may be needed in Central Europe in the near future.