ATTACKS ON BRITISH SHIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23073, 25 June 1938, Page 14

ATTACKS ON BRITISH SHIPS

That a number of members of the House of Commons should be demanding from Mr. Chamberlain less patient action against the assailants of British ships in Spanish waters can be readily understood. The attacks have lately become more violent and more manifestly deliberate. It is the barefaced nature of these attacks that makes requests for explanation of them seem mere weakness. The requests are not necessarily a sign of that, but the unfortunate part of the business is that this interpretation is bound to be put upon them in quarters where use will be made of it in decrying Britain's Work for peace; that is, Mr. Chamberlain's policy, wise in general principle, may defeat itself by becoming excessively patient in application. At the present moment, it can still be justified as a service to non-intervention, for to act otherwise just now would suddenly wreck all plans to convict the intervening Powers of irrational behaviour and to persuade them to desist for the sake of general peace. But every day of delay in extracting from them promises of amendment brings nearer the final breakdown of the Non-Intervention Committee. It has accomplished little, but that little has been much better than nothing in a crisis of this sort. Its proved failure would cripple all other efforts of suasion. Mr. Chamberlain knows this; so do the culprits eager to get on, unhindered, with their mischievous work. But another consideration should be borne in mind: every fresh demonstration of British self-restraint adds weight to the justification of forcible national measures should they have to be taken. Signor Mussolini has shown, by his renewed declaration of support for General Franco's campaign until it is completely victorious, that suasive efforts are not likely to succeed with him. Should he give defiant proof of that, the British policy of patience with the insurgents' attacks on British shipping can be swiftly modified*