ASSURANCE SOUGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 February 1939, Page 5

ASSURANCE SOUGHT

AGAINST RECOGNITION OF FRANCO BRITISH PRIME MINISTER NON-COMMITTAL. SITUATION CHANGING RAPIDLY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.43 a.m.) RUGBY, February 13. Asked in the House of Commons for an assurance, in view of the changed military situation in Spain, that Britain did not contemplate recognising the Nationalist authorities as the de facto or de jure Government of Spain, the Prime Minister, Mr'Neville Chamberlain replied: “It would be obviously impossible for me to give such an assurance in a situation which is changing very rapidly. I may say, however, that Britain, which is in close touch with France, as yet has taken no decision in the matter.” Asked if the House would be consulted, Mr Chamberlain said the Government must take the responsibility. Mr Arthur Henderson sought in view of the “urisatisfactory nature of the reply,” to mave the adjournment at the end of question time, but the Speaker refused the motion. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr R. A. Butler, said the present military situation in Spain in no way affected the decision not to grant belligerent rights to the Nationalists until foreign troops had been withdrawn. PARLEY AT MINORCA MR CHAMBERLAIN EXPLAINS. REQUEST OF AUTHORITIES AT PALMA. / (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.43 a.m.) RUGBY, February 13. Mr Chamberlain, in the House of Commons at question time, gave an account of Britain’s action in connection with H.M.S. Devonshire’s visit to and the surrender of Minorca, He said: “At the request of the local authorities at Palma the British Government undertook to convey a Spanish senior officer to Minorca in order that he might negotiate a peaceful surrender of the island. Britain previously had been informed that unless it could make negotiations possible, by providing the means of communication, an attack would be launched on Minorca. I thereupon, seeing that British ships provided the only available means of making a peaceful contact with Minorca and. being anxious to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, permitted an application to be made for the services of H.M.S. Devonshire. Britain consulted neither the Spanish Government nor the Burgos authorities though the local authorities at Palma were, it was understood, in touch with General Franco. France, who was kept fully informed, approved of the action of Britain and H.M.S. Devonshire duly proceeded to Minorca and, it is understood, the surrender of the island has now taken place. Britain has taken no part in the negotiations and has no responsibility for them. “H.M.S. Devonshire has taken the opportunity of embarking some 450 refugees, who considered they might run the risk of reprisal, and these refugees now have been landed at Marseilles, in co-operation with the French authorities.”