LEFT TO BRITAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19373, 10 July 1937, Page 6

LEFT TO BRITAIN

SOLVING IMPASSE NON-INTERVENTION PLAN A CRITICAL SITUATION RIVAL VIEWS UNCHANGED SOME PLAIN SPEAKING (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, July 9. A critical situation was faced at today’s plenary meeting of the non-in-tervention committee. Speeches by the Ambassadors of Italy, France, Portugal, Russia, and Germany showed that their attitudes toward the rival schemes were unchanged. A more accommodating spirit was displayed after the luncheon adjournment, and ultimately a proposal was advanced by the Netherlands Minister in London that the British Government be entrusted with the task of solving the impasse. The suggestion was supported by Count Grandi (Italy), M. Corbin (France), Herr von Ribbentrop (Germany), and unanimously accepted. The chairman, Lord Plymouth, immediately said he would convey the invitation to His Majesty’s Government, and at a still later session for deciding on the terms of the communique he announced that the British Government was prepared to undertake the task. At the same time, he pointed out that the maximum co-operation from all concerned was essential. His Government fully recognised the urgency of the matter, and would deal with it with the least possible delay. He anticipated that he would be in a position to summon the representatives for a further consultation probably early next week. Belligerent Rights Opposed In the course of his speech, M. Corbin emphasised that the French Government maintained unchanged opposition to the German and Italian proposals, and intimated that it might be necessary at an early date next week to withdraw from the observers on the Franco-Spanish frontier the facilities they were now accorded, if similar facilities were withheld from Observers on the Portuguesc-Spanish frontier.

The controversial character of the speeches was a feature of the whole morning session, and the outlook was most unfavourable at lunch.

On resumption, Lord Plymouth urged that the discussions could not continue in this vein, and took strong exception to certain criticisms which which had been made in regard to the conduct of the British Government. If other Powers had shown anything like the same desire strictly to observe the non-intervention pact the present position would not have arisen.

It was no longer a question of having satisfaction done in regard to the bombing of the Deutschland, he said. With reference to the Leipzig, the British Government’s attitude was clear, and it would be impossible to find a handful of people in England who would have consented to action being undertaken without an inquiry which would have enabled the party blamed by Germany to be heard. Threat by France It was not Britain’s fault that there were not more than four Powers originally engaged in the naval patrol work, and Britain’s oiler to assume with France, the responsibility for the whole naval control work had been undertaken with reluctance. It had been suggested in one or two directions that Britain would not carry out the duties impartially. In order to convince them, the British Government offered to carry neutral observers on the ships, and did not exclude any country whatever from the list from which such observers could be drawn. Nothing had arisen to lead Britain to believe that the granting of belligerent rights would advance a solution, ancl he thought that the French reference about the maintenance of observers on Spanish frontiers must be regarded as eminently reasonable. He restated the British Government's view concerning the withdrawal of volunteers from Spain, and said he felt that the speeches delivered would not be helpful in finding a solution of the impasse. The British Government, however, was still prepared to consider'any practical proposal to that end.