Non-Intervention Committee The Non-Intervention Committee at its two last meetings
has almost justified the belief that some of the so-called foreign volunteers in Spain may some day be withdrawn through its agency. At any rate the British plan whereby io,000 foreigners from the side found (by a small commission of investigation) to have the smaller foreign contingent fighting for it, and a proportionately larger number from the other side, shall be simultaneously demobilised, put in temporary camps— out of funds to be raised by the Non-Intervention Committee from its component Governments—and then repatriated at the cost of their respective countries, has been approved by every delegate except the Russian. Even there the first intransigence has been to some extent modified and it is possible that agreement may yet be reached. There seems to be reason to believe that Signor Mussolini would genuinely like to end an adventure which is manifestly unpopular in Italy, that General Franco, who is said to be by no means enthusiastic over the merciless slaughter of Spanish women and children. by foreign bombers, would be quite content to continue the struggle unsupported. Russia can easily make a debating argument against the inequity of raising funds to evacuate foreign troops which never ought to be in Spain at all, but the importance of the evacuation if it can be achieved far outweighs such considerations as that. Meanwhile the Nationalist forces continue to make slow progress in Catalonia, Barcelona has given proof of the possession of improved anti-air raid equipment, and peculiarly brutal slaughter of civilians in the coast town of Granollers and the sinking of a British ship in Valencia harbour are among the week's events. Something more is called for from the British Government than mere formal protests at the attacks on British shipping, to say nothing of the bombing outrages, though action is not easy to decide on.
* * * *
Previous page
