Government supporters are surprised that the Labour Party appears to
attach so much electoral importance to the events in Spain. There is no indication in their constituencies that there is any rising public support for the indignant protests of the Labour Party that the Government ought to force a passage for the foodships into Bilbao harbour. So the Labour Party thunder is just met with puzzled laughter on the Government benches. Certainly on the merits of the debating-points made on the Spanish issue the honours are all with the Government. The Opposition flatly refuse to accept the facts as stated from the Front Bench. They insist first of all that there are no mines at Bilbao, and then that British Government has denied to British ships, both on the high seas and in territorial waters, the protection to which they are entitled. Categorical assurances are given by the Govern- ment on these points. Opposition speakers then say " they are delighted to have these admissions " and then repeat the charges all over again as if no answer to them had ever been given. Mr. Lloyd George was a persistent offender, asking questions to which a specific reply had already been given half a dozen times. The view of the Government Whips is that the more the situation is made a political issue the better it is for the Government, and so far from artificially prolonging the debate on the Budget so as to curtail the time for the Labour attack, they were anxious to give the Labour speakers as much rope as possible.
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