PROTEST BY THE DUCHESS OF ATHOLL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 April 1938, Page 7

PROTEST BY THE DUCHESS OF ATHOLL

Position as Government Whip Resigned

PRIME MINISTER’S REJOINDER

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, April 28. The Duchess of Atholl has written to the Prime Minister resigning her position as Whip for the National Government. The reason is the failure, in her view, of the Government to take adequate steps to secure the withdrawal of the Italian troops from Spain before the signature of the Italian Pact or to take action with other Powers to safeguard peace in Central Europe and oh the shores of the North Sea —all matters which she feels vitally concern the safety of the country. The Duchess reaffirms her Conservative principles. The Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, in reply to the Duchess of Atholl's letter of resignation, stated that all reports sent to him and to the Foreign Office by the Duchess reporting the alleged arrival in Spain of Italian troops and material had been found either to be entirely incorrect or so improbable as to have affirmed ' the virtual certainty that they were incorrect. He could not accept the contention that Italy had not fulfilled the condition indicated. True, no withdrawal of Italian troops had yet taken place, but “it was never demanded or expected of Italy it should effect a unilateral withdrawal.” The policy of non-intervention, he said, was originally and had since been continuously applied by Britain in an entirely impartial manner, and he could not agree that it had benefited one side more than the other. Mr Chamberlain, dealing with the Duchess’s complaint that non-inter-vention had prevented Spain from buying arms, pointed out that some Governments already recognised General Franco’s administration, and added: “If his Majesty’s Government were to depart from the policy of non-inter-vention their action would almost certainly be followed by an immediate increase in the arms supplied not to one but to both sides. In that event a situation would arise fraught, in my opinion, with the greatest danger to the peace of Europe. I am satisfied that’the interests of fair play have not suffered "through the policy of non-in-tervention in Spain, and nothing you have said shakes my, view that to de-

part from that policy would involve very grave dangers to European peace.”