SPANISH WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 13

SPANISH WAR

FOREIGN TROOPS WITHDRAWAL PLAI^ WHITE PAPER ISSUED MEASURES PROPOSED FULL DETAILS GIVEN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 12. 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY. July 11 A White Paper was published this evening containing the text of .1 proposed resolution reaffirming and extending the non-intervention agreement, providing for the withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain, for the granting, i n certain circumstances, of belligerent rights to the two parties in Spain, and for observation of the Spanish frontiers by land and sea. An annex has been attached to the resolution, which comprises seven parts and sets out in full detail the measures to be taken to give effect to the resolution. The resolution and tho annex

are in the hands of both the Spanisl parties. The resolution notes that the Governments which aro party to the nonintervention agreement deem it expedient to reaffirm the obligations entered into under the agreement, including those in regard to the export of arms and war material to Spain, and to tho departure from and transit through their respective countries oi foreign volunteers, and to extend those -obligations to cover persons whoso activities 'would, in any way, be susceptible of prolonging or embittering the present conflict. Details of Withdrawal Plan

The resolution further states that the Governments deem it expedient to ensure the application of all the nine points of the British plan of July 14, 1937. dealing with the withdrawal of foreign volunteers, the granting of belligerent rights, and the problem of making control fully effective. Accordingly, the committee agrees, on. behalf of the Governments represented, that effect to the subjects shall be secured in the manner indicated in the annex. Special interest attaches to the details of the proposed plan for the withdrawal from Spain of those engaged directly or indirectly in the conflict. About 56 paragraphs are devoted to the method and time-table in accordance with which it is proposed that the withdrawals shall be effected. ' The duties to be discharged in Spain in this connection would be entrusted to two commissions attached respectively to the headquarters of the two Spanish parties, and in the annex the main outlines of their duties are set out. Daily Bate of Transfers General instructions prepared by tbe International Board for Nonintervention would be issued to members of each commission in London before they proceed to their posta in Spain. ■ The plan contemplates that foreign rolunteers will be transferred to evacuation- areas at a steady rate of not less than 2000 men daily. In order to enable the withdrawals to take plate at this daily rate, and as a condition to the adoption of the plan here outlined, each Spanish party would contract to take all the necessary steps—both during the period when the commissions are ascertaining the total number of foreign volunteers to be withdrawn, and subsequently—to ensure that on the day on which the actual withdrawal starts, and on every clay thereafter until all foreign volunteers have been withdrawn from both Spanish parties, they will be in a position to hand over the daily number of foreign volunteers prescribed above. For thi? purpose they would undertake that the day on which actual withdrawal starts, and on each subsequent day thereafter, there shall be not less than five days' quotas of foreign volunteers already withdrawn from the battle area, and available for transfer to the

evacuation areas. Time-table lor Evacuation The time-table for effecting the withdrawals provides that the daily quotas of foreign volunteers will be transferred by the Spanish parties concerned to the evacuation areas on the 46th day after the final adoption by the International Committee of the resolution now published. On the 101st day from the final adoption of the resolution, or on such earlier day as the withdrawal of foreign volunteers, who are neither sick nor wounded nor prisoners of war, may have been completed, the Spanish parties concerned would begin the transfer to tlio evacuation areas of sick, wounded and prisoners of war, and finally of any women foreign volunteers in the daily quotas to be agreed upon between the commissions and the Spanish parties concerned. On the 101st day the commission would begirt the task of verifying that no foreign volunteers remain unevaenated. The whole of the expenditure involved in carrying out the withdrawals will be tendered on behalf of the participating Governments by the Nonintervention Board. Frontier Observation The White Paper deals at length with the circumstances in which belligerent rights woidd be granted the two parties in Spain, and with the organisation of a system of observation of the Spanish frontiers by land and sea. Preliminary measures designed to enable an international committee to establish a system of air observation over the Spanish land and sea frontiers, if this should be found practicable, were also/ discussed.

ADVANCE ON VALENCIA Rebels nearing SAGUNTO (Received July 12, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, July H Nationalists, in their advance oil Valencia, claim to have reached the first line of the Republican fortifications around Saguuto, says a message froin Burgow.