7 JUNE 1946, Page 2

Sniping at Spain

The sub-committee of the United Nations Security Council which has been considering the indictment against the present Spanish Government presented by the Polish delegate, Dr. Lange, has arrived at a series of conclusions which are not very positive, and so far as they are positive not very convincing. The British Government had presented the sub-committee with a memorandum expressing the view that the Spanish army was incapable of effective aggressive action, and that there was no evidence to support the allegation that atomic experiments were being carried on at Toledo or elsewhere with the help of German scientists; and the sub-committee itself was constrained to admit that " no threat to the peace has been estab- lished." It declares, however, that the Franco regime is " a potential menace " to peace and security—which might in fact be said of any regime in any country possessed of a striking force powerful enough to injure a neighbour. The phrase, actually, is meaningless in such a context, and on any ordinary interpretation of the clause in Article II of the Charter, which expressly disables U.N.O. from intervening " in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State," any idea of further action should be abandoned. The sub-committee has however decided to recommend to the General Assembly that unless the Franco regime has been " withdrawn " by September all members of the United Nations shall break off diplomatic relations with Spain. That would postpone any question of action for three months, and incidentally precipitate an interesting controversy on jurisdiction between Assembly and Security Council. The latter body will express itself on the report this week.