ITALIAN SURPRISE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 250, 21 October 1937, Page 7

ITALIAN SURPRISE

Non-Intervention Meeting FRENCH PLAN IGNORED ’ Support For Former British Scheme EFFORT TO SPLIT TWO POWERS (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, Oct. 19. Soon after the Non-Interven-tion Sub-Committee meeting opened to-day, Count Grand! (Italy) sprang a surprise by suggesting that the Committee should revert to the British proposal of July 14, on which he did not think the French plan was any improvement. Dr. Woermann (Germany) warmly supported Count Grandi, but Czechoslovakia, Belgium, and Sweden supported the French plan. Frontier Control The Portuguese delegate stressed the desirability of the granting of belligerent rights to the insurgent leader, General Franco as early as possible. Portugal was prepared, he added, to reinstate frontier control provided France took similar action in the Pyrenees. M. Maisky (Russia) said that the French proposals meant the continuation of the same policy with no guarantee of greater efficacy, or for the provision of effective control. Acceptance of the proposals would omy create the opportunity for further endless discussion under cover of which the supply of arms and men to the rebels would continue. The Soviet therefore regretted that It could not accept the slightest degree of responsibility for such a policy, which had already proved its worthlessness and which had detrimentally and iniquitously reacted on the legitimate Spanish Government, but n the British, French, and other Governments still believed there was a possibility of success the Soviet did not intend to create any difficulties.

Two things have been disturbing the French Government, first the continued occupation by Italian forces of the Balearic Islands, where troops landed some time ago “to restore order” after Italian ’planes were alleged to have bombed Iviza, and, second, the dispatch of Italian troops to Libya. On September 18 it was reported that 7000 more Italians had landed in Morocco. On October 12 a cablegram stated that 5700 Italians had embarked for a reported destination in Tripoli, and on October 15 7000 troops were reported to have left Naples. The French North African colonies are very important possessions. Their population is about 9,000,000, and their area is about 000 square miles. The European population is in excess of 1,000,000. The British Government’s proposal of July 14, prepared at the request of the Non-Intervention Committee and aiming at closing the present gaps in the control scheme and enabling the policy of non-intervention in Spain to i be continued, provided that the naval patrol be discontinued and replaced by establishment, with the consent of both parties in the civil war of international officers at Spanish ports. They also provided for observers on ships visiting Spain, for the immediate restoration of supervision of the land frontiers, for all Governments to recognise belligerent rights at sea for both the Spanish parties and for all foreign nationals to be withdrawn Britain sought an a “! horl f. a ’~ o ith enter immediately on discussion with both sides in Spain. SEARCH FOR COMPROMISE little hope of agreement Received Oct. 20, 10.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 20. Mr. Eden will report on the situation at this morning’s meeting ot Cabinet. , The Times’ diplomatic correspondent says that an attempt was made until a late hour to find a compromise acceptable to all the Powers represented on the committee but it was recognised on all sides that the chances even of a partial agreement were sadly small. The Daily Herald’s correspondent puts the odds against an agreement at 1000 to 1.