Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1937. THE CONTROL SYSTEM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 158, 5 June 1937, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1937. THE CONTROL SYSTEM.

Supervision of the Spanish- coasts to prevent aid from abroad reachingl the warring factions has been rendered more difficult by Germany and Italy withdrawing their fleets. This leaves a serious gap on the eastern seaboard, and temporary though such action may be it was, when all the circumstances are weighed, quite uncalled for. The Loyalist air forces, it is alleged, have shown a preference for German and Italian warships when any bombing takes place, but this is not qorrect, for British ships have been "endangered ou several occasions, though not wilfully attacked as was the case of the Deutschland. Until guarantees are given by the Spanish Goa'ernment at Valencia that these attacks will cease, Germany and Italy intend to remain aloof from active patrol work. This, unfortunate as it is, does not mean abandonment of the scheme with which German merchant vessels will comply. The control system came into operation on April 19, since when its vicissitudes have emphasised the dangers tbe Rowers have accepted. One British naval vessel has been mined—it might have been torpedoed—Avith loss of life, and merchant vessels have also been either sunk or damaged by bombs. Both sides in the Spanish conflict have not shown a careful regard for the rights of other nations, hence the sequence of serious events culminating 1 in the Deutschland affair though doubt still remains as to which party fired the first shot — and then the horror of Almeria as German warships bombarded hapless, innocent people, killing those who could not escape and destroying homes and public buildings.

How far non-intervention has been succeeding is not clear. It took a long time for the Rowers which signed the undertakings to agree upon the procedure to make them effective. Last August the Governments principally concerned agreed not to permit arms and munitions to be supplied to Spain. In September the Non-Interven-tion Committee was set up in London to serve as a clearing house for the exchange of information relating to the application of this agreement. Last: February volunteers. were prohibited from service in Spain, and the Committee had the task of Avorking out a scheme to ensure that these decisions Avould be observed. The task was by no means an easy one and the measure of its success cannot yet be gauged.. So many violations of tbe principle occurred before April 19 that success in one hazard would lead the parties to undergoing further. Under the scheme in operation merchant vessels proceeding to Spanish ports must call at a prescribed port, outside of Spain to embark observing officers. When

within 10 miles of the Spanish coast such ships are subject to naval observation by the fleets of France, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy operating in their respective zones, and have to fly within this area a pennant indicating 1 they have an observing officer on board or have obtained exemption from an administrator. International observers under the land scheme are .working 1 on the Franco-Spanish and GibraltarSpanish frontiers, with 130 on the former and five on the latter frontier. The Portuguese-Spanish frontier traffic is being supervised by 130 British observers working under the special’ Anglo-Portu-guese agreement. The greatest patience was required before the scheme of control could be perfected in agreement, and the measure of its success can only be the desire of the Pbwers most interested to abide by it. It has been described as a novel as well as an important experiment in international co-operation. Its success, it was hoped, Avould mean flie withdrawal of foreign participants, then mediation, and finally peace in this unhappy country. The Deutschland affair has retarded these hopes for the present.