Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939. TRAGEDY IN SPAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939. TRAGEDY IN SPAIN

P'ROM the standpoint of the people of Spain, the situation in in the so-called civil war which has developed to a point at which Barcelona has been occupied unopposed by the insurgent and foreign forces ostensibly under the command of General Franco is one of unrelieved tragedy. Spain has endured the torments of war since July, 1936, when the greater part of the regular army revolted against the legally constituted Government of the country—a Government deriving its authority from the majority of an elected Parliament.

As a result chiefly of the military assistance given them by Italy and Germany, the rebels today are in possession and command of something like three-quarters of the total area of Spain. The measure of success gained by the insurgents is greater than the mere area of their territorial acquisitions ■would suggest. Since the Government has been unable to hold Barcelona, its power in Catalonia probably must be regarded as broken. It still holds a large block of territory extending from Madrid on the west io Valencia on the cast and down the eastern coast to Almeria.

'With the exception of the remaining fragment of Catalonia, however, the whole of the territory held by the Government is hemmed in and isolated. In Barcelona, the Italians will now be provided with another convenient base at which to land as many troops as they care to send to Spain. In the absence of some complete transformation of the situation not at present foreseen, the days of further resistance by the Government forces in any part of the country presumably are numbered. The prospect opened for the Spanish people is one of ruthless oppression and exploitation by reactionary forces, native and foreign.

Deplorable as the outlook is in that respect, it is even more serious when account is taken of its international implications. In the circumstances in which an evil fate has overtaken Ihe people of Spain, a deadly threat is offered to the peace ol: Europe.

Italy and Germany nominally became parties to the policy of non-intervention in Spain which was inaugurated when the Internationa] Supervisory Committee of Non-Intervention was set. up in Loudon in September, 1930. While Britain, France and some other nations have observed the Non-Intervention Agreement by withholding military supplies or military assistance of any kind from the Government of Spain, Italy at an early stage in the war provided an expeditionary force of regular troops to assist General Franco—a. force that has since been maintained and increased. Germany also has assisted the Spanish insurgents with aviators and aircraft and a. numerous body of military technicians.

The facts were summed up on Tuesday last by Mr Anthony Eden, who was British Foreign Minister for upwards of a year of the pei'iod of the Non-Intervention Agreement.

The truth is (Mr Eden said) that certain States, though pledged to non-intervention, are intervening on the scale they deem sufficient to ensure victory for General Franco, and declare that if France dares to do even a fraction of what they are doing, they will reconsider the situation.

Mr Eden asked how dictation of that kind could provide a basis for true friendship, but the situation already has developed more positive aspects than the former Foreign Minister’s question implies.

Under the mere suspicion that France may venture to offer some opposition to the present course of events in Spain, Italy is not only mouthing threats against France, but has called up some of her older classes of military reservists—classes, one report observes, upon whom the country would hardly call unless a major crisis was envisaged.

In conjunction with the news cabled yesterday that Whitehall is shocked by the .Italian call on reservists, which France must regard “as seriously close to an act of aggression,” it has 1o ho considered that the policy of the British Government avowedly Ims been based hitherto upon an unqualified acceptance of Signor Mussolini’s assurance that “Italy has no territorial. political or economic aims in Spain or in Ihe Balearic islands.”

Facts of which the British Government has refused thus Jar to lake any official cognisance are now forcing themselves violently on attention. Not only has the flagrant violation of the Non-Intervention Agreement by Italy and Germany become apparent to all the world; there, is now every indication that Italy and Germany arc determined to make the most of flic strategic foothold they have gained in Spain—a foothold the value of which is measured by the facilities Spain offers as a. base of attack on France and Britain. In face of Italy’s present altitude, it would be merely ridiculous to 1 suppose that she.has any idea of honouring the pledges Signor .Mussolini has given of withdrawal from Spain.

It is clear that it will fall to Mr Chamberlain to deal with extremely critical issues in the speech he is to deliver in Birmingham tomnmiw evening and it must be hoped that in dealing with the emergency by which Europe ami the world are conlTonted he will have something to say about his own part and that of his Government in the developments which have led up to that emergency.