Blockade Policy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 75, 15 April 1937, Page 5

Blockade Policy

(Brit'ish blScfal 'WirelBM.)

.. - % ' -ALABOUR'S CENSURE MOTION No Ne«d to Fear a World War THE LAW BROKEN

(RbCeived 13. 1.35 p.m-) bugHb'y, April 14. Ifl 'the 'flouse bf Obmmbfls the debate wa)s bpeflbd ofl the Laboflr mbtion of censure ifl thb folibWiflg "The House, 'takiflg flbte bf thb Ftime Ministfer'S statembflt bflt the sxriiation at Bilboa, deplbres the failure.of His Ma.jesty^s GbVernfli'eflt ro gxvb prbtectxofl t'd British mbrchaflt 'fehip flfl their lawful o'ccasioflS. The Home Secretary begflfl the debate by e'mphaaisin'g the adhb'rmxee of thb G'overflmeflt, ifl Cbmmbfl With the Gbvernment bf Franee> to thb pblicy of 'flbfl-ifltbrVbfltibfl. fit . thbfl recalled that the Madrid aflthbritabb ifl August afld Septemhbr had fbU'ght to declara % blockage b'f Centa and M'elilia and b'ther ports-. The Britibh Goyernment had refused to recogflls'b the blbckado bflt thbflj jflst a« flbW, diFbCtibfl's werb issued to British ships ifl VfvbW 'of the daflgbrfl Which threa%e'fl%d^ ft wan therefbre) he claimed, im"pbksible to maifltaifl that thb actibfl taken in refe'refl'Ce to thb Mttiatibfl bf -Bxibba re- ; prefcbnted a new pblicy^ Thb -British NaVyj hb 3aid, could : forcb its way fhhb afly pbft ifl Hpain, , but that actio'fl Wbuld nbt hb bonsis- ' tent With thb pblxCy bf flqfl-xflterven- ! tibn, to whifeh it Wa® thbir primary : dflty %o he faithful. ... Ifl xhoving the censurfe, Ma|br O. R. . Atribe said that the Qppbsitidn regardi ed thb GbVbrnmbflt's actiofl ifl warn- ; iflg Srxtish 'shippxflg agaiftst bfltering • the port bf Bilboa U% a sflrrbirder of ; rights which had alWay® bbefl main- : taiflbd fbr British shipping, and this ■ Sflrrbflder was mMb ifl thb fa^& of a gravb hrefl'cfi. bf interflational law. The SpaniSh insurgents had flo bblligerent : rights afld flb right %6 hlbckadb Span5 ish ports.

The prbVbfltio'n bf -British ships tradiflg with Spaifl wa® &6 p&rt of the non-intervefltiofl pollCy Wo Ibflg as they carribd flexthbr "muAitxbAl H6t voluntbers. * Thb Prime Minibter, said Majbr AttIbb, had. madb "a firm 'dbClaration against intbrfbreflce With British shippxflg, British 'ships werb tb all intbflts afld putpbSes, tbld that they must flot go t Bilba. There Wfls fln questibfl tMS timo of 'startiflg a World wai pr of trouble With a great forcijm RoWeh. Ma^br Attlbe askfed idt detailed informatibfl bf the bVidbnCb flpofl which thb GbVbrAmbnt had ibached its decision and the sources from which it came. The Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden said that heliigerent rights conld not be granted only to bflb side. A Biitisb ship attaCked on thb high sb'as would be protected, but it was impossible toguarantee safety in territorial waters. British shipowners did not share the indignation of the Oppositibn-. Fo'r the fleet to take action withifl Spaflish territorial waters WbflTd be intervention as much as if troops were landed on Spanish soil to convoy lorries to a given point. He wai flot mbyed by chargfes bf eowardice. It Wbuld have been cowardice if, for the sake of a round of applause, th© Government ran the risk "bf damflging peaCb. The vote of censure was defeatbd by 345 vbtbs tb 130.