MR EDEN QUESTIONED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 183, 6 July 1937, Page 7

MR EDEN QUESTIONED

POSITION IN SPAIN. CONTROL OF FRONTIERS. PORTUGAL'S ATTITUDE. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copyright.) (British Uliicial Wireless.) Received July 6, 11.55 a.m. RUGBY. July 5.

The, anxiety regarding the future of non-intervention m the Spanish war was reiiected in the House of Commons when a large number of questions on the subject were addressed to the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden). He made a composite reply to several ot these and reviewed the present situation, in reference to which there had been no important developments during the week-end. Mr Eden reviewed what had happened at Friday’s meeting of the chairman’s sub-committee ol the Non-inter-vention Committee and added that, in the meantime, the question of the withdrawal of foreign combatants was still before the committee and it was the earnest hope of His Majesty s Government that it might be possible to proceed further with the discussion of this subject at an early date. No indication of the date of _ the plenary meeting could yet lie given, he said. He would not like the House to assume that conditions on the Portuguese frontier were not satisfactory, although he agreed that the sea position must be remedied as soon as possible. While it was true that there was for the present no observation there, yet the decree under which the observers were keeping watch remained in full force and he would not like the House to assume that the Portuguese frontier was open to traffic. The Portuguese Government, he added, did not oppose the AngloFrench proposals. When asked whether it was possible to grant belligerent rights, not as an alternative to non-intervention, but in addition to a system of arms control, Mr Eden recalled the special circumstances of the present situation, one of which was the presence of a large number of non-Spanish nationals in Spain. " nr In rcplv to another question, Mi Eden said' that as far as he was aware there were no German warships in the Mediterranean.

“AN ARTERIAL ROAD.”

BRITISH VIEW OF MEDITERRANEAN.

(British Official Wireless.) Received July 6. 11.15 a.m. RUGBY, June 5. The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden), speaking in Warwickshire, said that for Britain the Mediterranean was not a short cut but a main arterial road. In her view Spain’s form of Government was a matter for the Spanish people, but disinterestedness in this matter must not be taken to mean disinterestedness where British interests were concerned on the land or sea frontiers of Spain or the trade routes that pass by her. Mr Eden added that Britain wanted nothing from Spain except friendly, normal relations.

NO FAVOURITES

CAPTAIN HELPS BOTH SIDES

Received July G, 9.5 a.m. PARIS, July 5

Captain “Potato” Jones has arrived at St. Nazairo with 1500 refugees from Santander, having changed the name of his ship from the Marie Llewellyn to the Jvellwyn. He desires the title “Potato” to be dropped. Asked whether he had worked for the rebels as well as the Loyalists, Captain Jones replied: “Yes. I go to General Franco’s ports. Why not? England is neutral; one must not play favourites.”