A.—5A,

Spain.

In a telegram dated 19th April the Spanish Government requested that questions related to foreisn intervention in Spain might be considered by the Council at its one hundred and first ses, ion. The telegram has been reproduced in Doe— 0 V M 79 1938, VII, .»d pra.t.e.lly ft. whole of the public meeting on the afternoon of 11th May was devoted to Spain. However, before proceeding to give an account of the Council's deliberations I should mention that in the immediately preceding third private meeting the Council was advised of a gift of 50,00 florins made by the Netherlands Government to China towards the work of medical assistance which in January the League of Nations undertook to put m hand. I felt that this generosity on the part of the Netherlands Government required a more adequate recognition than was afforded by the passing of a vote of thanks at a private meeting, and I inquired whether publicity could not b. give to the gift by mentioning it at a public meeting of the Council. The President agreed, and at the beginning of the public meeting he referred to the matter. The representative of China delivered a short speech in which he expressed China's appreciation of the gift, and added that with the approach of summer the need for medical aid would increase because there was a danger of a general outbreak of epidemics. For that reason the Netherlands gift and the gift of medical supplies which had been made by the Danish Red Cross, and to which reference was also made by the President, would be all the more greatly appreciated in China. Appeal op the Spanish Government. I draw your attention to the communication, C. 174, M. 95, 1938, VII from the Spanish Government containing a recital of the war aims of the Government of National Union. As stated above this item of the agenda came before the Council on the afternoon of the 11th May, when proceedings began with a speech by M. del Vayo, the Spanish representative. No question which has come before the Council since New Zealand has been a member has been subject to such differences of opinion. The policy of non-intervention is claimed by some to be the only policy which tm prevent the conflagration spreading beyond the frontiers of Spam. The claim may be justified since it is true that a European war has not resulted from the conflict m Spam. But this policy has been pursued at a great cost, and I will not pursue the task of dissecting either the Spanish representative's speech on this occasion or that delivered by him when consideration of the matter representaw i meeting 0 f the Council on the 13th May. He gave figures to support his that faSfeTh3pTas overwhelmingly in favour of the rebels. Yet surely the aim of the policy of non-intervention is to ensure that the Spanish question will be solved by the Spaniards themselves without the aid of foreign elements. Above all, he made some strong attacks which put more than one member of the Council on the defensive. The Spanish representative asked for an opportunity to reply to certain observations which had been made, and he placed the responsibility of continuL or discontinuing the discussion on the Council. The Chairman wisely gave way but the result was that the Council was brought face to face, on the 13th May, with a formal draft resolution introduced by the Spanish representative, and which I quote " The Council — " After having heard the statements submitted to it— " (a) Recalling its resolution of May 29th, 1937 ; "(b) Recalling that the Sixth Committee of the eighteenth session of the Assembly submitted to the Assembly a draft resolution containing, notably, the following provisions " The Assembly ... . "6. Sincerely trusts that the diplomatic action recently initiated by certain Powers will be successful in securing the immediate and complete withdrawal of the non-Spanish combatants taking part in the struggle in Spain. " 7. Appeals to the Governments, which must all be animated by the desire to see peace maintained in Europe, to undertake a new and earnest effort in this direction ; " And notes that, if such a result cannot be obtained m the near future, the members of the League which are parties to the Non-intervention Agreement will consider ending the policy oi non-intervention." " (c) Recalling that this draft resolution, although it did not succeed m receiving the unanimous vote of the Assembly, was voted by 32 States, including all the members of the Council with the exception of Bolivia and Peru, who were among the countries who abstained from voting , " (d) Observing that the hypothesis envisaged in this draft resolution has been wholly realized, since neither the diplomatic initiative announced in September, 1937, nor any other subsequent initiative, has led to the departure from Spanish territory of a single non-Spanish combatant ; " (e) Observing that the favourable vote of the Governments who voted, this draft resolution can only be interpreted as the expression of an opinion in favour of envisaging the end of non-intervention if the non-bpamsh combatants have not left Spanish territory in the near future.

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