Spain And Anglo-Italian Agreement

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1938, Page 7

Spain And AngloItalian Agreement

(Received 9 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. Referring in his speech in the House of Commons today to the Anglo-Ita-lian Agreement, the Trime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, reiterated his reasons for making the removal of the Spanish situation from being a perpetual menace to the peace of Europe a condition of the pact’s coming into effect. It was not the fault of either party that the • conditions had not been fulfilled, said Mr Chamberlain. Italy had kept faith in the reduction of her troops in Libya, the cessation of antiBritish propaganda in the Near East, and in collaboration on the Non-Inter-vention Committee. Britain had carried out her engagements by the action .* taken at the League meeting regard- ' ing Abyssinia. * - -■ Britain profoundly regretted the delay in bringing the agreement into effect, and would do all she could to facilitate the withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain in order that Spain may cease to offer threats to the peace of Europe. This observation drew from Mr C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Opposition, a question whether in the Trime Minister’s view the withdrawal of foreign volunteers would constitute a "settlement in Spain,’ but Mr Chamberlain replied cautiously that he would like to see- what happened when the volunteers had been withdrawn, adding that if Britain could feel that Spain had ceased to be a menace to the peace of Europe, Britain would regard that as a settlement of the Spanish question.