Russia and the Spanish Plan The decision of the Russian
Government to waive its objections to the British plan for the withdrawal of the foreign troops from Spain, and to accept that plan in lobo, removes one of the many obstacles to the execution of the scheme which has been laid before the two parties to the Spanish conflict. Russia, it will be remembered, has always contended that the last foreigner must have left Spain before belligerent rights can be granted to the two sides. The wisdom of Mr. Eden and Lord Plymouth in declining to allow that dissent to hold up the work of the Non-Intervention Committee is now justified, for M. Maisky on Tuesday intimated that his Government was willing to accept " substantial with- drawal " rather than total withdrawal as the condition of the grant of belligerent rights, and to leave the discussion of how " substantial withdrawal " should be defined till the question arose in practical form. The Russian declaration has been transmitted to the two sides in Spain, but neither has yet indicated its acceptance or rejection of the Non-Intervention Committee's proposals. Some progress is possible, for General Franco appears to be ready to dispense with the Italian infantry, though he can hardly do without foreign a3sistance in the air, and Signor Mussolini would probably not be sorry to reduce commitments for which his country shows no enthusiasm. But unless the withdrawal plans develop with surprising speed the Italians will still be there to take part in the next Nationalist offensive.
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