THE SPANISH WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 122, 25 May 1937, Page 9

THE SPANISH WAR

BRITISH PROPOSALS

WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS

PRACTICABLE SCHEME HOPED FOR

(British Official Wireless.) (Received May 25, noon.) RUGBY, May 24. ; In the course of a long answer to several questions in the House of Commons on the Spanish situation, the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Lord Cranborne, said that efforts to further the withdrawal of foreign nationals had been actively pursued. The technical sub-committee of the Non-intervention Committee which was set up to consider the question had now presented its report. In anticipation of the report, which it was hoped would enable a practicable scheme to be agreed upon for the withdrawal of foreign volunteers, his Majesty's Government had inquired of the other principal Governments whether they would join in approaching both the contending parties with the object of inducing them to agree to a cessation of hostilities on all the Spanish fronts for. a period sufficient to enable these" withdrawals to be arranged. The replies of the various Governments were still awaited. J Lord Cranborne also stated that the system of observation was working satisfactorily. DESTRUCTION OF GUERNICA. Later, he referred to the Basque Government's request for a full inquiry into the destruction of Guernica, and said that the United Kingdom Government had invited the observations of the French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Soviet Governments on this suggestion. His Majesty's Government had pointed out that'such an international inquiry could, if thought desirable, be extended to cover other incidents of a similar: nature,' and that his Majesty's Government would be ready to co-operate in such an inquiry, whatever its scope. The Government had also placed a proposal ' before the Non-Intervention Committee for an appeal to both sides to abolish altogether the use of bombing from the air in the Spanish civil war. The views of the various Governments on- this proposal had not been received by the Committee, and the matter was being further considered at today's meeting.