BELLIGERENT RIGHTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19886, 14 March 1939, Page 5

BELLIGERENT RIGHTS

ATTITUDE OF BRITAIN NO CHANGE IN POLICY - (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11.45 a.m. RUGBY, March 13. Britain’s policy regarding belligerent rights in the Spanish civil war remains unchanged. In addition to this declaration, by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in the House of Commons in' answer to a question, the Foreign. Under-Secretary, Mr. R. A. Butler, reminded the House of the statement made in the House of Lords last Thursday by the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, regarding the instructions sent to British warships, and said that the British Charge d’Affaires in Burgos- had -drawn-the attention of the Spanish Government to this statement. Since 'then no British vessel and no British lives or property had been lost. A cablegram dispatched from London on Thursday stated that, alluding in the course of a debate in the House of Lords to General Franco’s blockade order, the Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, saidi ..‘,‘l * wish to make it plain that if action, outside territorial waters is taken Britain should be obliged to resist such action in the same manner-as Britain has done in the past.” Referring to assurances regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Spain, Lord Halifax said he believed that these would be honoured. “I say quite clearly that if the contrary, is the case, a very serious situation would arise,” he added.