"AN ILL-TIMED THREAT"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 5

"AN ILL-TIMED THREAT"

British View of Proposals (Eeceived 8, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 7. General Franco 's demands for recognition and belligerent rights are regarded by Whitehall as an ill-timed threat. The British Government 's view, according to the Daily Telograph, is that. the granting of belligerent rights can be eonsidered only when non-Ppanish aid is eliminated. France regards the question as political and considqrs that the situation must be regarded from the point of view of the interests in the Mediterranean at stake. France intends opentng her frontier, unle&s effective naval control and supervision of the Portnguese land frontier is enforced. The Spanish Embassy in London .itated that the Spanish Government does not favour granting belligerent rights. Evidence is accumulating that General Franco is prepared to dismiss his foreign troops provided the Government acts similarly, but a difficulty is likely to arise through Eussia's insistence that the Moors must also be witlidrawn Compefont observers estimate that the trained armed Spanish forces with General Franco total 600,000 and those of the Government 560,000.