NON-INTERVENTION IN SPAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 12

NON-INTERVENTION IN SPAIN

The New Zealand High Commissioner has been urging at Geneva that a “ new effort ” be made to allow the Spanish people to decide their own destiny, by the use, of “ different methods ” than those that are being employed at the present time to prevent the spread of the Spanish conflict. Mr Jordan, in fact, was supporting a plea for the abandonment of non-interven-tion and for conferring on the Spanish Government the freedom to secure war material from whatever sources might be open to it. His voice was thus added to those of the representatives of Soviet Russia and nationalist Spain. There is little satisfaction to be derived! from this illustration of the New Zealand Government’s determination to make its small voice heard in the council of nations. Non-intervention is the policy approved, despite all protests and all argument to the contrary, by the Powers whose constant aim it has been to prevent the Spanish war from threatening the peace of Europe. No one will pretend that the policy has worked well or even satisfactorily. But at least, through it, certain restraints have been imposed on the Spanish combatants, and peace, precarious though it has been, has been maintained outside the frontiers of Spain. The British and French Governments have cooperated earnestly to strengthen the non-intervention undertakings given by the Powers concerned. Germany has lately given specific assurances regarding the withdrawal of those of her nationals who have been aiding General Franco, and Italy has also pledged herself to evacuate her nationals according to a formula set out in the agreement with Great Britain. In the case of Italy a settlement of the “ Spanish question ” is insisted upon by the British Government as a pre-requisite to the coming into force of the AngloItalian agreement; and both Mr Chamberlain and Lord Halifax have expressed their complete willingness to accept Italian assurances in that respect. Non-intervention, defective though it has been, has definitely achieved its main purpose of localising a struggle that might in other circumstances have grown to terrible proportions. To urge its abandonment, as a policy, ah this stage of European change is to yield to the promptings of sentiment rather than of reason.