RUSSIA LEAVES NEUTRALITY COMMITTEE

Northern Advocate, 24 October 1936, Page 5

RUSSIA LEAVES NEUTRALITY COMMITTEE

ALLEGED VIOLATION OF'AGREEMENT

PREVENTIVE EFFORTS NOT SUPPORTED

iUnlted Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.! (Received *2 p.m.) LONDON, October 23. CO VIET RUSSIA ANNOUNCED AT M 745 p.M. HER WITHDRAWAL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF NON-INTERVENTION IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR. , The Russian declaration says;

“In adhering to non-intervention, the Soviet expected that the participants would fulfill the agreement enabling the civil war to be shortened and the victims reduced.

“However, time has shown that a number of participants have systematically violated the agreement, and the supply of arms to the rebels continues unpunished. Portugal has become the main base for rebel supplies, while the legitimate Government in Spain has been boycotted and deprived of facilities to purchase arms outside Spain. But the rebels are privileged, which the agreement * did not contemplate.

“Torn Piece of Paper.

“Russian efforts to prevent violation of the agreement have not received the committee’s support. The proposal to control Portuguese ports is not even placed on today’s agenda. Thus the agreement is empty—a torn piece of paper—and has ceased in practice to exist.

“The Soviet, not wishing unwittingly to assist an unjust cause, believes the only way out of the situation is to return to the Spanish Government facilities to purchase arms outside Spain.

“Rusgia,' in any case, is unable to bear longer the responsibility for an unjust situation, and declares that it cannot consider itself bound by the non-intervention agreement to any greater extent than other members of this conference.” Italian Charges. The Italian Government reply to the Note regarding non-intervention in Spain rejects the accusations brought against Italy of infraction of the agreement. A second Italian Note brings charges of breaches of the agreement against the Soviet, Government. The greatest interest has beem aroused by the meeting of the International Committee at the Foreign Office. It was still in session after .three hours and a half.

The National Council of Labour has sent a letter to Mr Eden, the Foreign Secretary, enclosing a communication from Senor del Vayo, Spanish Minister of War, declaring that even while the examination of the charges brought by the Spanish Government is progressing, the rebels received on October 15 at Cadiz a cargo of arms, including tanks and flame-throwers, from their foreign allies.

The National Council says it views with grave concern the time that is elapsing since the Non-intervention Committee undertook to investigate the charges.