NON-INTERVENTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 202, 27 July 1937, Page 7

NON-INTERVENTION

CIRCUMVENTING DEADLOCK. BRITISH QUESTIONNAIRE. EARLY REPLIES WANTED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received July 27, 11.55 a.m. RUGBY, July 26. To circumvent the deadlock over procedure at tho Non-Intervention Committee meeting the British Government has prepared a document containing seven questions for transmission to the other 26 Governments represented on the committee. The chairman’s sub-committee will be asked to approve of tiiis document and agree to a date, preferably this week, by which time all replies are to be received. To save time, the document was circulated on Saturday night for the information of the 26 representatives on the committee. If and when general approval of the plan is forthcoming, the British Government will have authority to put the scheme to the two parties in Spain. The seven questions require the Governments to state plainly whether or not they agree to the relevant parts and the action which it details. It is again emphasised that the plan stands or falls in its .entirety since the proposals constitute a balanced whole.

There is certainly no weakening in the British view that the recognition of belligerent rights in the form visualised in the plan could not become effective until the Non-Inter-vention Committee had reached tho conclusion that the arrangement for withdrawing foreign nationals was working satisfactorily and had made substantial progress.

HEATED ARGUMENTS. ITALIAN AND RUSSIAN VIEWS. Received July 27, 12.5 p.m. LONDON, July 26. Heated exchanges marked an unusually tense session of the Non-Inter-vention Committee. Count Grandi complained bitterly that Italy’s attitude had been misrepresented in the Press, especially in France. “Italy simply wishes to discuss the points of the British plan in the order that they are submitted,” he said. “We are willing to accept point seven, relating to the withdrawal of volunteers, if and when the other Powers have accepted points one to six, relating to belligerent rights and the control system.” 4 Count Grandi said that the others aimed at wrecking the British plan but, lacking the courage to do so, openly hoped to put the responsibility on somebody else. Count Grandi then made a veiled attack on Russia, accusing her of delaying the committee’s work with the object of helping ‘‘the Reds” and embittering the relations between the great Mediterranean Powers. Italy considered that too much time had already been squandered in useless discussions. Italy was prepared-to • reply at every meeting to every point, of the British proposals provided the other delegates did the same. M. Maisky (Russia) caused consternation in the committee by declaring that the Soviet in no circumstances would agree to granting belligerent rights to General Franco, but it is believed that he spoke in the heat of the discussion and that lie did not necessarily convey the Soviet’s final word.