THE SITUATION IN SPAIN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 4

THE SITUATION IN SPAIN

The overnight. news with respect to the Far Eastern situation is still of an indeterminate character. Ihe explanations tendered by Japan regarding the aerial attack on the British Ambassador's motor-car, resulting in his sustaining very serious wounds, are very miich such as were to be expected, and it may, of course, be taken for granted that there was no real intent of imperilling the life of so highly placed a British official. At the same time, ^ the incident is one which manifestly arises _ out of the handed course which Japan is pursuing in China, regardless altogether of the rights and interests of other countries. It is in this that its true signihcance and importance lie, and when the London "Times," habitually restrained in its comments on international affairs, writes as reported to-day about it, it may be t-aken that it is only giving expression to highly strung popular feeling on the subject. However, the position must be left to develop itself further, and possibly the course it will take may depend a good deal upon the moral and practical support whcih ^ the United States may be preparcd to lend to representations made to Japan by the British Gdvefnment* In the meantime another look may be taken at occurrences in cOnnectiori with the Spanish trouble, which for the time being have been thrown somewhat in the shade. The fall of Santander into General Franco's hands seems now to be finally established and with it'the insurgents have virtually secured full possession of the whole of Westem Spain. There may still be a very small coastal area tound about the port of Gijon, to the west of Santander, to be reduced into actual occupation, but probably that will mean nothing much more than a walk-over for the rebel forces. With this conquest it may well be taken that the gallant resistance which the Basque population of this region has so long maintained will have been brought to an end, though possibly some of the guerrilla warfare so dear to the Spanish heart may even now be carried on. The most important result will be that the large body of insurgeiit forces hitherto tied to the Basque campaign will now be released as reinforcements to those operating on the main front with the capture of Madrid as their objectiVe. ^ Nothing of very great moment has been heard frotii this quarter for some time, but it may now be expected that General Franco's activities will be concentrated upon it and, truth to say, the outlook for the defenders does not seem very promising. A few days back some passing reference was made to a possible favourable diversion being created by a Catalonian force that was being organised in the region lying inland from Barcelona, but there has so far been nothing to indicale that this is likely to be of any very effective assistanie. There would thus appear to be some very fair ground for the rejoicings that are said to have taken place in Italy cver General Franco's Santander success. At the same time, however, the claim now openly made that this has been due to the valour of the Italian forces under his command provides a striking commentary on the complete hollowness of Signor Mussolini's earlier strenuous denials of having sent Italian troops to his aid, while at the same iirne toving with the principle of non-intervention. His sincerity will now be put to its final test if and when the' question of the withdrawal of these forces comes to be further discussed. Meanwhile there' have been happenings in both the Eastern and Western Mediterranean that are a good deal more than 'merely suggestive of Italian subinarines and airplanes having been engaged in attacks on foreign shipping, British included, destined for loyal ports in Spain. From theii very character it is, of course, very difficult to establish without doubt the responsibility for them, but it is equally difficult to find grounds for attributing them to any but Italian under-water and up-in-air craft. The possibilities as to what may issue from any further continuance of these surreptitious activities are difficult to estimate. It is interesting, however, to uote that, so^far as concerns the eastern waters last year placed under his country's control by the Montreux Conventi'on, Kemal Attaturk is determined to root out any submarines that may be implicated. The last thing he wants to see is an Eastern Mediterranean dominated by his fellow dictator, Benito Mussolini.