§ 17. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now make a statement on the note received from the Spanish insurgent authorities referring to the situation on the borders of Spanish Morocco?
§ Viscount CranborneThis matter is still under consideration and I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. HendersonMay I ask when he will be able to make a statement?
§ Viscount CranborneI am afraid I cannot say, but at the earliest possible moment.
§ 20. Mr. Manderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has now received a reply from the rebel Government at Salamanca with reference to the acts of piracy by which Spanish ships loaded with British-owned iron ore for Great Britain were stopped and taken to rebel ports; whether the cargoes have now been released; and whether he will make it clear that in future such action will not be tolerated as it has no justification in international law?
§ Viscount CranborneI understand that a report from His Majesty's Ambassador at Hendaye as to the result of the representations which have been made, is on its way. As regards the last part of the question, His Majesty's Government will certainly make their attitude equally clear in any similar cases which may arise.
§ Mr. ManderHas the Noble Lord any information as to whether this ore has been sent to Germany, or not?
§ Viscount CranborneI would like to have notice of that question.
§ Mr. W. RobertsWill His Majesty's Government recommend the trade mission which is at present in Spain to raise this question?
§ Mr. ShinwellHave these cargoes, which are so important to this country, been released? Do they not belong to consignors in this country?
§ Viscount CranborneIf the hon. Gentleman will await the report, he will be able to get full information.
§ 23. Mr. Denvilleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any protest will be made to the Spanish Government with regard to the recent attempt to smuggle arms into the country from the United States of America by the re-naming of the Spanish vessel "Mar Cantabrico" as the "Adda," of Newcastle, and by the use of the British flag on that ship?
§ 26. Brigadier-General Clifton Brownasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the danger to British shipping which must ensue if Spanish ships camouflage themselves like the "Mar Cantabrico" as British liners to avoid capture, he has made or will make representations to the Spanish Government to stop this practice, as being an abuse of international law?
§ 31. Captain Harold Balfourasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received any reports of foreign vessels carrying arms to Spanish ports which have sailed under unauthorised British names or incorrectly used British ships radio call-signals?
§ Viscount CranborneDistress signals from a vessel using the call sign of the British steamship "Adda" were picked up by His Majesty's ships in North 1618 Spanish waters on 8th March. Destroyers were sent immediately to her assistance, but before their arrival it was learnt that the ship in question was foreign and is understood to have been the Spanish steamship "Mar Cantabrico" His Majesty's ships therefore returned to harbour. The employment of ruses such as the use of a neutral flag by a merchant ship in order to escape capture by an enemy is a right which is well-established under international law, and this case would not, therefore, justify representations such as those suggested.
§ 28. Mr. W. Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, under the control plan of the Non-Intervention Committee, any provisions exist to prevent the rebels or the Spanish Government buying ships with which to import cargoes of arms or volunteers and thereby defeating the object of the scheme?
§ Viscount CranborneThe sale of ships to the contending parties in Spain is not prohibited by the Non-Intervention Agreement, but I can assure the hon. Member that the point which he raises will not be lost sight of.
§ Mr. RobertsCan the Noble Lord tell us which party refused the original plan for control at the ports, which would have avoided this very large loophole?
§ Viscount CranbornePerhaps the hon. Member will put that question on the Paper, but I can assure him that this particular point is not being lost sight of.
§ Mr. AttleeIs the Noble Lord aware that it is not so much a question of it being lost sight of, but of what is going to be done about it?
§ Mr. ManderIs the matter under consideration by the Non-Intervention Committee, or is it being dealt with in some other way?
§ Viscount CranborneI cannot go further than what I have said at the moment, but I would repeat that it is not being lost sight of.
41. Miss Rathboneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider asking, on behalf of His 1619 Majesty's Government, or through the Non-Intervention Committee, for assurances from General Franco that in the event of his forces capturing Madrid the lives of non-combatants will be protected?
§ Viscount CranborneBoth the Spanish Government and the insurgent authorities are fully aware of the views of His Majesty's Government with regard to the security of non-combatants.
Miss RathboneDoes the hon. Gentleman not think it desirable to take some measures for seeing that there shall not be a repetition of the indiscriminate massacre of non-combatants by Italian troops such as took place in Addis Ababa?
42. Miss Rathboneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received reports concerning the fortification with strong batteries of German guns of the strip of coast between Algeciras and Tarifa; and whether he has considered whether these batteries, in combination with the other German batteries west of Ceuta, may constitute a menace to the security of the Mediterranean route to India?
§ Viscount CranborneI understand that the insurgents have installed a number of shore batteries on the coast near Algeciras, but I have no evidence that they are equipped with German guns. I have no information that the Moroccan coast west of Ceuta has been fortified.
Miss RathboneWill not the Minister make inquiries as to whether it is the case that these are strong batteries of German guns; and will he reply to that part of the question which asks whether this would not be a menace to the safety of the route to India?
§ Viscount CranborneThe hon. Lady asked, were not the two facts mentioned jointly a menace? I say we have no information as to the second fact, and, therefore, the third part of her question does not arise.
§ Sir P. HarrisWill the Noble Lord find out through Gibraltar what the facts are; and can he not do something to improve the intelligence service which seems to be failing in every respect and every department?
§ Viscount CranborneWe get such information as is available, but hon. Members must not think that in the completely abnormal situation which exists in that part of the world, it is possible to get complete information.
§ Commander Locker-LampsonHow far is it from Gibraltar to Algeciras?
§ 43. Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the possibility of recalling foreign troops and volunteers from Spain was last considered by the Non-Intervention Committee; whether any progress has been made; whether he is still prepared to state that no foreign troops or volunteers have been landed in Spain since the ban on them was signed on 20th February; and, as it is inconsistent with the ban that foreign troops, estimated in the case of Italy to number 100,000, should still be participating in the fighting, whether he will use his utmost endeavours to bring such a state of affairs to an end?
§ Viscount CranborneAs regards the first and second parts of the question, I understand that the Chairman's Sub-Committee of the Non-Intervention Committee has had the matter under consideration and, as the hon. and gallant Member will see from the resolution passed by the committee at its meeting on 8th March, it was agreed to consider the matter further as soon as possible. I understand that this further consideration is being actively pursued. As regards the third part of the question, the hon. and gallant Member will appreciate that the Agreement which came into force at midnight on 20th-21st February relates to the departure of volunteers from their respective countries. As my right hon. Friend has already informed the House, His Majesty's Government have no information that nationals of any country have left for Spain since that date in contravention of the Agreement.
§ Lieut.-Commander FletcherIs it not clear that the Italian. Government did not sign this ban on volunteers until Italy had landed all the volunteers and munitions in Spain which she wished or intended to land; and was her signature to the ban, therefore, not insincere and is not the ban itself a farce?
§ 49. Miss Wilkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he 1621 has received any information with regard to the landing of a further contingent of Italians, who passed through the Straits on 7th March and landed in Spain on 8th March; and whether he has by now any information as to landings of Italians in the last days of February?
§ Viscount CranborneThe answer to the first part of the question is No, Sir. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Lady to the answer which I have just given to the hon. and gallant Member for Nuneaton (Lieut.-Commander Fletcher).
§ Miss WilkinsonDo I understand that the Noble Lord means that he has no information?
§ Viscount CranborneYes.
§ Miss WilkinsonIn that case can he say whether it is the policy of the Foreign Office not to have any information about facts that are inconvenient to their Fascist friends?
§ Mr. AttleeHow is it that information that appears in the Press is always not available to the Foreign Office? What is the provision for getting information on these important events?
§ Viscount CranborneI think the answer is that information that appears in the papers is not always correct.
§ Miss WilkinsonIs it not a fact that each one of these cases of landing that have been denied by the Foreign Office has later been proved by the fact that the troops have actually gone into action?
§ Mr. ManderIs it not a fact though that these Italians are leaving as rapidly as they possibly can at the present moment?