THE SPANISH PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22688, 29 March 1937, Page 8

THE SPANISH PROBLEM

An unofficial but usually a wellinformed agency reports that Italy has given assurances that no more soldiers will be sent to Spain, and has indicated that the Government will be prepared to discuss the withdrawal of the "volunteers" already there. If this is confirmed, tJre nonFascist countries of Europe may still place some hope in the non-inter-vention plans. Probably there is no Government represented on the Xon Intervention Committee which imagines that control could lie carried to the point of evacuating foreign nationals already in the fighting forces of tortured Spain. In the Government army there are men of many nations, a considerable number of whom must be classed not as soldiers of fortune but as internationalists whose purpose is to support their political cause, though in most cases the odds are that they are men of a naturally turbulent spirit whose inclination happens to conform with their political ideas. It is impossible to imagine any sort of commission, not possessing force, that could comb out these men. And just as difficult would it be for the commission to prevent aid going by air to either side. The one foreign force that can be definitely identified as a national one—virtually an ally —is that of Italy fighting on the Fascist side. Italy may be prepared to discuss its withdrawal, but he would be an optimist who believed that so long as Italy desired to help the rebels there would I>e any evacuation of importance. The real issue comes down to impelling cessation of fresh troop movements and of the transport of supplies. Unquestionably that is the object of the non-intervention majority. The Governments most active in working for this end have the stimulus of political reactions within their own countries.