BRITISH IRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23073, 25 June 1938, Page 15

BRITISH IRE

,SINKING_OF SHIPS SCENE IN COMMONS CONSERVATIVES' LEAD DEMAND FOR DEBATE QUESTIONS TO PBEMIEK By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received June 24, 0.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, June 23 After a scene in the House of Commons, the Speaker granted leave to the House to debate the bombing of ships in Spanish waters. It is significant that the issue was forced by Conservatives, Mr. D. Sandys (Norwood) and Sir William Brass (Clitheroe), supported by Mr. Lloyd George and all the Labour members. A debate on the adjournment of the House of Commons on the subject of further attacks on British ships in Spanish waters resulted from an answer by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, to a private notice question from Mr. Sandys.

Mr. Sandys asked: Does the Prime Minister realise that the failure of Britain to otfer any resistance to these unlawful acts of violence is an encouragement to law breakers, not only in Spain, but all over the world? Mr. Chamberlain: The policy and position of Britain has been fully explained. Mr. Attlee and Mr. Lloyd George joined in supplementary questions. Mr. G. R. Attlee's Attack In moving the adjournment of the House to call attention to the attacks yesterday on two British ships off Valencia, Mr. C. R. Attlee said there was no doubt at all that these ships were engaged in perfectly legitimate trade. They had non-intervention observers on board—in one case French in the other German. The attacks were delivered at a low altitude and must have been deliberate This followed a long series of other attacks on British ships and the latest British protest at Burgos. Yet; the Prime Minister declared that nothine could be done. Mr. Attlee claimed that it was really an extraordinary position if the powerful British Navy could not assure the protection of, or exact immunity for, British shipping from General Franco, whose naval forces were relatively negligible. The Leader of the Opposition recalled that Mr. Chamberlain had insisted that the attacks must be regarded as made by aeroplanes and pilots under the control of General Franco. He argued that in that case the position was simplified, for, if the Government took action no complications, he inferred, could arise with any other Power —least of all, he suggested, with any other Power represented on the Non - Intervention Committee, which must share British feelings regarding these attacks on merchant ships operating within the provisions of the non-intervention system and under the surveillance of the Non-in-tervention Board's officers. A British ship was as much a part of British territory as Gibraltar and a British sailor was just as much a British- subject as any other person. The Prime Minister must be more specific if he wanted the House to believe he could not defend them. Warnings by Government Mr. Chamberlain, in reply, announced that the British Government had instructed the British agent at Burgos to ask that an explanation of these latest, attacks should be given without delay, and had directed him to return to London as soon as he received a reply, in order that tho Government might consider, in consultation with him, the situation resulting. Tho Government, however, was not going to change the policy it had already proclaimed regarding the Spanish situation. The motive of that policy was not ii preconceived idea in favour of one side or the other in the Spanish civil war, but was to preserve the greatest of British interests —peaco. Mr. Chamberlain asked whether it was claimed that the country should go to war or take action which might conceivably involve it in war, in order to give protection to people who had gone in for tho purposes of making profits in this risky trade in spite of warnings given by the Government. The Labour motion for the adjournment was defeated by 275 votes to 141.