The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1937 BRITAIN'S NON-INTERVENTION PROPOSALS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20782, 17 July 1937, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1937 BRITAIN'S NON-INTERVENTION PROPOSALS.

Although calm reflection on the British proposals for the solution of the deadlock in Spain will convince the average citizen that there is something to be said for Sir Archibald Sinclair’s suggestion, made in the House of Commons, that the British Government ought to take a stronger line in relation to the nations which subscribe to the non-intervention agreement, it will be conceded that the British proposals have placed the gravest responsibilities on the leading European Powers. It would not be difficult to criticise the proposals; indeed, some support will be won by the British Parliamentary Labour Party because of the strenuous opposition the leader and rank and file of the official Opposition in the House of Commons has presented to the British proposals But a close examination of Britain’s plan suggests that the proposals should be given a fair trial. It will be urged that the British proposals contain substantial concessions to the Italo-German viewpoint. The official spokesmen of the British Parliamentary Labour Party are insisting that the British Foreign Secretary “in attempting to reconcile the irreconcilable, has surrendered to the demands of the Fascist Powers.” There may be some truth in this statement, but no criticism of the British proposals is valid which does not offer alternative plans. It is doubtful if any alternative plan that would be acceptable to all the Powers, could be evolved. In the debate in the House of Commons, Mr Winston Churchill emphasised the importance of the fact that if the Non-Intervention Committee had “gone to a division twenty-three of the twenty-seven Powers would have followed England and France.” Because this revelation of whole-hearted support of non-intervention in Spain has, to quote Mr Churchill, “added tremendously to British prestige,” it can be taken for granted that once the full significance of the British proposals to end the existing deadlock is recognised and appreciated, substantially the same overwhelming support will be given Britain’s lead when the proposals come before the Non-Intervention Committee. This should impress both Germany and Italy. Moreover to a large extent the onus of rejection will be thrown on the Powers actively interested in the Spanish conflict, who will begin to realise once the British proposals are closely examined that acceptance of Britain’s plan—and they must be accepted in their entirety—would reduce the Spanish conflict to a struggle between rival factions in Spain with the closest embargo being imposed on all outside interests; indeed, as Sir Archibald Sinclair insists, there must be no compromise regarding the withdrawal of volunteers since this is the first essential to the working out of the British proposals.