PEACE IN SPAIN
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR]
Slit,—While sincere effort is being made to localise the Spanish War, and to put a stop to outside intervention, little, if anything, is being done to stop the actual fighting. This surely should be the first charge of all people and countries of goodwill.
Neutral commissions will shortly be established in Spain to superintend the withdrawal of foreign " volunteers." This
work cannot be done properly when the fighting continues. Could not the Great Powers, therefore, take this opportunity, and use their influence in calling an armistice, just as one was called in the Great War ? The difference is only one of degree between withdrawing certain percentages of foreign volunteers and stopping the fighting.
It is my belief that once the slaughter were stopped, if only oz a temporary basis, the war exhaustion and the fundamental good sense of the Spanish peoples would prevent its being re- started. A logical result of such an armistice would be the initiation of a round table conference, at which all the contend- ing parties—the Catalans and the Basques, as well as Franco's Administration and the Republican Government—could discuss their differences, and reach a satisfactory compromise, which would lead to permanent peace in Spain.
Perhaps this plan would fail, but surely an attempt is worth while, if it offers the slightest chance of saving the lives of thousands of war-weary people, who must die if the conflict
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