The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1937. ALARMS AND EXPLANATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 22684, 25 June 1937, Page 8

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1937. ALARMS AND EXPLANATIONS.

The international position arising out of events in Spain at least shows better than it did by the reports of yesterday morning. Germany and Italy are not withdrawing from tho Non-inter-vention Committee. They aro merely withdrawing their ships from tho control scheme, where they are not thought to be safe, “ with tho specific intention [in the case of Germany] of avoiding the possibility of aggravation of the situation.” The Leipzig incident is declared closed. Alt that is something to the good, though it would not appear that Germany is taking the maximum care of her warships when she concentrates them in impressive numbers at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where a floating mine or a submarine or an aeroplane might make new provocation at any moment. Apart from resentment which must have been left in Spanish minds by the ruthless bombardment of Almeria, the conditions in which both overhead and underwater craft work make it the easiest thing for them to confuse friend or neutral with foe. If that • happens again at Germany’s expense another Almeria, presumably, will bo looked for. The double withdrawal from the patrol service has its own disadvantage, because this leaves thg whole eastern coast of Spain, from Almeria to the Gulf of Lions, unpatrolled. The clandestine landing of either troops or arms for the insurgents can go on there subject only to such check as the loyalist navy may be able to impose, and if that navy sinks a ship of the wrong flag trouble will follow. Since February, according to Mr Eden, there has been no flow of foreign nationals to speak of, but, given tho opportunity, it would bo too much to hope that partisans of both sides will not do their best to pour munitions into the afflicted country. The suggestion that France and Britain should take over the German-Italian sphere of control -is the less attractive, because it would make these two Powers tho solo guardians of all tho coasts of Spain. Tho German case now is that there should be no combined naval control, that having been proved impracticable. “It is 1 better for the individual Powers to take the protection of their own interests into their own hands.” Tho suggestion that there is no such thing ns European interests certainly is discouraging, but it is something again that Germany disclaims territorial ambitious towards Spain or Spanish ' colonies, ' “ desiring only Spanisn independence.” All that tho world can do is to wait ; for tho next incident and the next alarm. Like children bathing on the shore, Buried a wave beneath. The second wave succeeds, before Wo have had time to breathe. The suggestion is made by Labour bodies at Home that the entire Spanish question should bo handed over to the League of Nations for control,

but as Germany and Italy are not members of the League it is difficu.t to understand how that body could be expected to handle it better than the Non-Intervention Committee. Two inducements that might bo felt by Germany to take the boldest course in present circumstances arc the destruction of M. Blum’s Government in Franco and the internal troubles of Russia. There were two Russias during the later stages of the Great War, one striving to play its part in iu.filment of pledges and the other to demoralise the country’s armies and cry “ Karaerad ” to the enemy in pursuance of theoretical objects of its own. There is every sign that, if Russia were involved in a new war, the same thing would happen again. The supporters of Trotsky, who pride themselves on being the only consistent Bolshevists, would resume the destructive role, advantageous only to the enemy in an immediate sense, of first founders of the Communist State, and Russia as a nation would hardly exist. Her divisions make a danger of the present time. But the Blum Government has been succeeded by a Government which seems to differ from it as little as possible, and it is doubtful if the Nazi Government would endure if Germany were subjected to new strain. A retired British officer, Brigadier-General Prickett, has some words of reassurance. The general feeling among Europe’s masses, as he has observed it. is averse from war. Far from being a danger, he believes that “ the highsounding talk by Hitler and Mussolini is a safety valve, like the orators in Hyde Park. They, as well as other statesmen on the Continent, know that despite whatever ostensible causes a war might' be fought for it would be fruitless and worse than fruitless.” He suggests that British statesmen, in their necessary concern for rearmament, have rather emphasised l than made the least of alarms. The last part of that statement does not go far, oven if it could bo accepted, because alarms were much too frequent long before rearmament began. But the first part of the judgment probably has something in it. ■, It will be well if it is 100 per cent, correct.