A CRITICAL JUNCTURE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 4

A CRITICAL JUNCTURE.

The Fates seem to be running badly against all Great Britain's diplomatic efforts to find appeasement among the nations regarding the situation in Spain. Another unforeseen incident has occurred, very much like that of a few weeks ago when the German Government claimed that one of its warships had been bombed by a Spanish Government aeroplane while she was lying in a port of the Balearic Islands. The German eagle's feathers were very badly ruffled over this and even after the savage bombardment of Almeria it took a great deal of trouble to smooth them out sufficiently to admit of German}- re-entering the Non-interven-tion Committee and the naval patrol of the Spanish mainland coasts. Now Germany asserts that another of her warships has been torpedoed while in Spanish waters off the north coats of Africa, the offence being again laid, at the door of the Spanish Government- In support of this allegation no very convincing evidence has been adduced. All that we really have is a statement from Germany that examination of the hull by divers reveals "scratches and a, six-inch denb" which the other Powers, parties to the non-intervention agreement, are asked to accept as providing proof as strong as holy writ.

Great Britain cannot accede to this and holds that as a condition precedent to any action being taken or even considered there should be a thorough independent investigation for the purpose of establishing the facts of the case. This, however, does not suit Germany's book and no doubt in Berlin the mere suggestion xs being represented as another slur on Germany's honour, of which Herr Hitler is so jealousIn any event, the practical outeome has been that both Germany and Italy, almost invariably acting in concert in connection with Spanish affairs> have intimated their withdrawal from the Non-intervention Committee. This, however, is qualified by a further statement that the withdrawal is limited to the patrol scheme. This leaves some room for thinking that the representation of the Non-intervention Agreement as having been "smashed" is something of an exaggeration. Support for this view is also perhaps to be drawn from what the British Foreign Minister, Mr. Anthony Eden, has had to sayApparently, despite German bluster and threats of forceful independent action, he still thinks it worth while to continue diplomatic conversations on the subject. As something of a soothing preliminary to these he makes admission of some need for measures designed to increase the security of the ships of all four Powers engaged in the patrol work. His main purpose, it would seem, is to preserve that part of the agreement which provides for the withdrawal of all foreign troops on whichever side fighting> from participation In future hostilities. Further talks on this point are in progress and possibly before we go to press we may have some word as to their outeome. It may have been noted that both Major Attlee, leader of the Labour Opposition in the House of Commonsi and Mr. Nash, representing our own Labour Government at Geneva, have suggested handing the Spanish problem over to the League of Nations for solution, Mr. Nash even going so far as to propose that the League should "force" the withdrawal of foreign troops. It is a little bit difficult to cdnceive of any more futile suggestions at such a juncture and they can scarcely result in anything but cynical laughter from Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini and embarrassment for Mr. Eden. It cannot but re'call the old tag- about those who rush in where angels fear to tread-