WAR IN SPAIN

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 463, 3 July 1937, Page 2

WAR IN SPAIN

SITUATION OUTLINED Britain’s Sound Policy An instructive nummary oT the present confused situation in Spain was given by Mr. L. K. Munro, at Auckland. After drawing attention to leading characteristics of the two contending parties, Mr. Munro reached the conclusion that the British policy of non-intervention in the struggle was thoroughly justified. “On July 18 the so-called Spanish war will have Basted precisely a year, and no doubt to a great many European diplomats it must appear to have tested a great deal longer,” said Mr. Munro. In July of last year there was a “moderate” Government m power; and the “Rede.” on the one side and the Fascists on the other were each aiming iat taking control of the situation. It was largely a question of which sid e would act first. The armies led by Franco, the Fascist general, anticipated a speedy success, and the absence of that success was unquestionably a surprise to them. At the present time they controlled roughly three-quarters of Spain, but on the other hand Catalonia, Madrid and Valencia were controlled by the Reds, who had under them a considerable portion of the more wealthy part of Spain.

Ideals of the Parties. In the area controlled by Franco’s forces, there seemed to be comparative content, but in the part controlled by the Reds there had undoubtetbly been subversive movements because of the incompatibility of the ideals of certain sections.* of the forces supporting the Government. “It is impossible, I think,” said Mr. Munro, “for any Englishman to have any great degree of sympathy with Fascism, but I am doubtful whether it is possible to have any great degree of sympathy with the loyalist Government, the ideals of which are m many respects very remote from that form of democracy which we support.” Mr. Munro replied to the criticism that English foreign policy had consistently resulted) in support of Franco, and said that Germany and Italy would never have agreed to international co*ntrol. There* had been further criticism of the AngloItalian naval agreement made in January of this year, and it was said that shortly after it the number of Italian troops in Spain had risen from 10,000 to 50,000; but it was ill the highest degree unlikely that Britain would, favour that because the presence of Italian troops there obviously struck jat our lines of communication through the Mediterranean.

British Impartiality. “The. fact that, we are impartial may be verified,” said th® speaker, “because we have come in for a certain amount of criticism from both sides.’ It was possible, however, that if a Bolshevist power took control in Spain Britain might take action. It l could be said with a fair degree of confidence that whichever side triumphed in Spain lt E - foreign helpers would not remain there, permanently. Touching on the question of whether the present Spanish loyalists |ddd actually represent democracy, he >said the propaganda of the loyalist Government was immensely superior to that of the Fascists, Catalonia was undoubtedly the most important part of loyalist Spain, and one of the strongest parties in that area was the anarcho-syndicalists whose ideal- could not attract much support among English peoples. It seemed that a triumph of the loyalist Government could only result in a dictatorslliip of the proletariat in one form or other. Dangers of Intervention. i “However much one may support, either .party, is it worth while,” Mr. Munro asked, “for th® British nation to intervene on behalf of either and possibly embroil us in an international war? That result couldi only be worth while if our interests were so vitally concerned that intervention was necessary. Intervention is necessary only if the success of the Geras to menace our safety. There' is not sufficient evidence that the Spanish people would put up with them there for any great length of time. If thet is the case, then the policy of the .present British Government of I letting the Spanish fight it out is the best safeguard of the world’s peace.”