SPAIN RETALIATES

Evening Star, Issue 26031, 20 February 1947, Page 7

SPAIN RETALIATES

SERIOUS DISPUTE WITH NORWAY UNITED NATIONS INVOLVED NEW YORK, February 18. .The Washington correspondent of the New York Herald-Tribune ’ says that diplomatic circles; are stirred by the evidence that Spain and Norway are engaged in a serious dispute involving the United Nations. The dispute began shortly after M. Trygve Lie, of Norway, speaking in his capacity-, of Secretary-General of the United Nations, reported to the General Assembly on October 23, denouncing Franco Spain. Soon 1 after the speech, and even before the General Assembly on December 12 asked the United Nations members to recall their Ambassadors and Ministers from Madrid, Spain, through the Norwegian Embassy at Madrid, began threatening Norway with retaliation. Since then General Franco has subjected Norwegian ships .and trade to a slow “ squeeze plan,’’ so that to-day there is not a single Norwegian ship in Spain. The Norwegian Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the dispute, but the Spanish Charge d’Affaires was . inclined to laugh off any suggestion that M. Lie’s .pronouncement in the United Nations had prompted retaliation from Madrid. The correspondent, however, cites the Norwegian language newspaper published in New York, which, in a despatch on February 2, said that the Norwegian Foreign Office had confirmed receipt of the Spanish threats. The correspondent continues that the controversy has already reached such a serious phase that Norway may soon demand that _ other United Nations come to her aid by imposing-eco-nomic sanctions against Spain. American sources interpet the Spanish moves as a trial balloon to see how the Western Powers will react.