SHIFTING THE RESPONSIBILITY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 4

SHIFTING THE RESPONSIBILITY

At the moment, while awaiting gome definite word as to the outcome of yesterday's meeting of the Non-jnterven-tion Committee, the Europe-an international situation, as affected by the Spanish civil war, is a good deai in the air. For the time being at any rate, the naval patrol of the Spanish coasts, which was designedLfor the prevention of the landing of foreign aid to either Spanish faction, whether in men or war material, and in which British, French, German and Italian warships were taJsing part, has been suspended. Germany, because of the real or imaginary discharge of a Spanish Government torpedo against one of her patrolling ships, the Deutschland, asked that a demonstration of protest should be made by the e^ombined fleets in ihe Mediterran&an — with. what effective purpose in view it is difficult to understand. In any event, both Great Britain and France declined to take any part in it, at any rate until the faots of the case had heen dispassionately investigated and determined- Germany thereupon "took the huff," declaring that her honour was at stake, and announced her withdrawal from any further participation in the patrol. Italy, with no particular pretext of her own to advance, but no doubt to show the solidarity of the Italo-German aceord, followed suit. Great Britain thereupon proposed that, rather than see the patrol break down altogether, she would herself provide warships to fill the gaps thus left in it. As a guarantee that strict impartiality would be observed it was voluntarily suggested that on each of the British patrolling ships there should be a • neutral "observer" approved by both Germany and Italy. To this seemingly reasonable proposal neither Herr Hitler uor Signor Mussolinin would lend any ear. Thus a virtual dead-end was reached, British patience was exhausted and Great Britain, with French concurrence, intimated to Germany and Italy that it would be left to them fo advance alternative pyoposals for achieving the purpose on which all had agreed — the prevention of the spread of active hostilities from Spain into the international arenaFor the receipt and disqussion of such prpposalg, if any were to be forthcoming, the Non-intervention Committee was to meet yesterday, but up to the time of writing no word has been received as to results. Probahly, however, some will come through during the day, and the foregoing brief summary of the situation may assist readers in interpreting its real significance. What will he recognised is that the protestations of hoth Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini that they are desirous to see peace maintained will have heen put to a fairly severe test and that their sincerity can be judged only by the reasonableness and practicahility of the proposals they may submit. In the meantime we have had the customary output of vitupenative press propaganda from both Berlin and Eome, hut probahly this is meaiit mainly for home consumption to feed avid nationalistic sentiment.