PLEDGE GIVEN.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20260, 31 July 1937, Page 7

PLEDGE GIVEN.

NON-INTERVENTION PLAN. BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE ASSURANCE BY MR EDEN. (Official Wireless.) (Received July 31, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, July 30. Deollnlng the request of Major C. R. Attlee and Mr Lloyd George that he should pledge the Government to summon Parliament In any event before the granting of belligerent rights to the Spanish Insurgents, Mr Anthony Eden made the following statement In the House of Commons during the adjournment debate to-day. “There Is a pledge I can give so far as the present British plan before the Non-Intervention Committee Is concerned. We do not propose to agree to any major modifications of It.” Twice before in, the course of a short speech Mr Eden declared that the British proposals for restoring frontier control in Spain, securing the withdrawal of foreign nationals from the two armies, and the grant of limited belligerent rights to the two parties, must stand or fall as a whole. The British Government could not accept any modifications which would upset the 'balance of the scheme. He emphasised, however, the desire and intention of the Government to persevere with its policy of non-inter-vention as long as the other Powers would co-operate.

He confessed that he found it difficult to see how, if the international committee failed to reach an agreement

on the British plan, the policy of nonintervention could be saved. If it collapsed the Government would certainly desire to consult the French Government on the policy to be pursued. If, in the Government’s view, the situation was so serious as to warrant the summoning - of Parliament, it would avail itself of the provisions in the adjournment motion enabling the Speaker to call the House of Commons together in an emergency, but he (Mr Eden) would not have them under-rate the desire of the other nations to prevent a breakdown of the non-intervention plan. Mr Eden also referred to the situation in the Far East, and expressed the fear that it had further deteriorated since yesterday. Seriousness of Situation. Major Attlee dre'i’ attention to the seriousness of the foreign situation. The possibility of an agreement on non-intervention was slight. The granting of belligerent rights to General Franco would Increase the danger to British shipping. Major Attlee demanded that the Government assemble Parliament before taking such a step. The whole affair should be referred to the League of Nations. The Far Eastern situation was equally serious. If these things were allowed to continue it would mean the abrogation of all treaties, including the nine-Power agreement. Aggressive. States tended to bank on the unreadiness of the rest of the world to act, and if allowed to pass without protest it would incite the reckless elements in Italy and Germany to undertake similar adventures. In the mediterranean. Mr Eden, replying, said it was dangerous to create the impression that whatever happened Britain would not act. The Government was fully alive to the fortification of Ceuta and was resolved to maintain through communication in the Mediterranean. The adjournment motion of the Hous6 of Commons contained the usual provisions empowering the Speaker, on representations being made by the Government to call the House together at an earlier date than October 21st. if necessary in the public interest. To Re-conslder Situation. The chairman’s sub-committee of the Non-intervention Committee for over three hours examined Ihe replies received from the Governments. After a general discussion the subcommittee adjourned, to enable the Governments to re-conslder the situalf on. Lord Plymouth requested the German and Italian representatives to clarify their attitude regarding the withdrawal of nationals before belligerent rights were recognised. The German, Italian and Portuguese representatives indicated that the difficulty they found was in pursuing the discussion in the face of tiie obscurity they felt in the attitude of the Russian Government to the question of

•belligerent rights. The Hussian representative was critical of the failure of the German and Italian Governments to accept unreservedly the part of the plan relating to execution. Tt. was clear that before further progress could lie made claritlcalion was necessary on certain points, which the chairman is understood to have again indicated as being a Hussian reservalion on a general statement of the plan as to the granting of belligerent rights, and a German and Italian reservation as to the respective timing in the execution of the plan.