CONSIDERATION OF THE NOTE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 15, 11 October 1937, Page 5

CONSIDERATION OF THE NOTE

(British Officiai Wireless.)

Italy Ignored Alternative . Procedure ANGLO-FRENCH CONTACT

(Received II, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 10. Consideration by Britain of tho Itaiian Not© rejecting the invitation by Britain and France to a meeting to diicuss measures to make non-mter-vention in Spain inore elfectivo will enter a more active pbase, inciudiug probably cousultatious with France, with Mr. Anthony Eden's return from Balmoral to the Foreign Office. In the meantime, only semi-official and unofficial eomment on the Note is obtamable. The Anglo-French propotal involveu no hard-and-fast procedure for conver sations between the three Governments, and if an actual conference between representatives of the three Powers seemed unsuitable to Italy the way was left open for alternative Wiethods of exehanging viewa. • Italy objects to the failure to inclnde Germany in. the conversations, Neither Britain nor France could have any reaaon for excluding Germany except the •bvious one that Germany would becessitate the inclusion of other Powers. ineluding Russia with the result that Ih* 0©JC Stould have teiuled

to become as dilatory and difficulb as the old. It would have been perfectly easy and proper for Italy to keep Germany fully and continuously informed regarding the progress of the conversations. The Italian - Noto claims that Italy and Germany tooL the first initiative in tho matter of non-Spanish participants in. tho civil war, but. newspaper eommentators recali that the question was raised by them at a time when it concerned only a tricklo of genuine volunteers to both sides, and before it iiad become the most serious aspect of foreign intervention According to a Press Association eable, the Sunday Times says; "The opening of the French frontier to Spain would bo of little help to tho Valencia Government. The natural channel for the transit Of anns from France is the sea, where convoys would be necessary, involving the possibility oi incidents.'' Tho London ObserVer| says : linglancl and France have already consulted l about the line to be taken. It is emJ phasised in British official quarters that there is no definite understanding with J l' rance, but it France adheres to her ; decision and the British Government formally signifies its approval the j Whole pretenco of non-intervention will he abandoned. A decision on the action to follow the Italian Note is expected within a few days." ,