§ 16. Commander Sir Archibald Southbyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, with a view to simplifying the arduous duties now being performed by the British Navy, he will endeavour to expedite the granting of equal belligerent rights to both sides in the Spanish civil war and the recognition of a de facto state of war?
§ Mr. EdenAs my hon. and gallant Friend will be aware, under the resolution adopted on 4th November, His Majesty's Government, in common with the other Governments represented on the Non-intervention Committee, have agreed that they will recognise both sides as entitled to exercise belligerent rights at sea as soon as, in the opinion 1136 of the committee, the withdrawal of foreign nationals from Spain has made substantial progress.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerMay I ask whether "substantial progress" means, as has been said, 75 per cent. of the effectives present?
§ Mr. EdenThere will certainly need to be an agreed definition before belligerent rights are granted.
Mr. AclandCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether belligerent rights will be qualified according to sub-paragraph (iii), I think, of the British proposals, that is to say, food, and so on, is excluded?
§ Mr. EdenThe hon. Member is asking me a question which he has on the Paper, and was not here to put.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is any progress towards getting an agreed definition?
§ 17. Mr. Noel-Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any statement has been made by His Majesty's Government concerning General Franco's declaration of a blockade of the eastern coast of Spain?
§ Mr. EdenI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on this subject to the hon. and gallant Member for Nuneaton (Lieut. - Commander Fletcher) on 8th December.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWas that reply, in effect, a refusal to recognise a right of blockade?
§ Mr. EdenI think the reply was quite clear:
His Majesty's Ambassador at Hendaye has been instructed to inform the Salamanca authorities that as belligerent rights have not been recognised to either party in the Spanish conflict, His Majesty's Government are not prepared to admit their right to declare any such blockade."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 8th December, 1937; col. 357, Vol. 330.]
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that explanation, may I ask whether that policy includes a refusal to recognise the right to bomb British ships from the air?
19. Miss Rathboneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Non-intervention Committee has ever agreed to, or embodied in, any engagement to which the participating countries have set their hands, the proposal made by the Italian Government early in the war, to the effect that expressions of moral solidarity with one side or other should be reckoned as intervention?
§ Mr. EdenI have no knowledge that any such proposal was made by the Italian Government, and no such proposal has been agreed to by the Nonintervention Committee or embodied in any engagement undertaken by the countries participating in the Non-intervention Agreement.
Miss RathboneMay it not be taken for granted, then, that a participating Government does not commit any breach of its engagements when it expresses a moral solidarity with either of the parties in the Spanish conflict?
§ Brigadier-General Sir Henry CroftIs it not a fact that on the day after the outbreak of the war an expression of moral solidarity came from the Soviet Union and that it has never ceased to be expressed?
§ 2. Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the designation of a detachment of the Spanish republican army as the Major Attlee company; how many Englishmen are in this detachment; and whether he will represent to the Spanish Republican Government that this detachment should be redesignated, in order to avoid the suggestion that this country has committed a breach of the Non-intervention Agreement?
§ Mr. EdenMy attention has been drawn to Press reports on this subject, but I am not in a position to state the number of Englishmen serving in the detachment in question. In any case, I do not consider that any action is called for on the part of His Majesty's Government, since all concerned are already well aware of the views of His Majesty's Government with regard to the intervention of British 1138 and other foreign volunteers in the Spanish conflict.
§ Mr. TurtonWill my right hon. Friend make inquiries through the usual channels?
§ Sir William DavisonCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether General Franco has been warned not to bomb this company?
Mr. Vyvyan AdamsWould the designation of the company in this particular way have any effect upon the course of hostilities?
§ 1. Mr. Parkerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the names of ships legally flying the British flag which have been fired at, sunk, or damaged by mine, torpedo, bomb, gun, or machine-gun fire on the high seas in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Bay of Biscay, respectively, since the outbreak of the Spanish civil war; the position when attacked and, where known, who was responsible; and what claims have been forwarded to the responsible authorities?
§ Mr. EdenThe ships regarding which the hon. Member desires information are, so far as I can ascertain, 25 in number. As those particulars which I am in a position to give are somewhat long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The hon. Member will appreciate that it is not possible to determine with certainty the responsibility for some of the incidents. In regard to the question of claims, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my Noble Friend to the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher) on 10th November last.
§ Sir Archibald SinclairCan the right hon. Gentleman say, in regard to these ships about which it is possible to state with certainty, which side in the civil war was responsible for these attacks?
§ Mr. EdenYes, Sir. I think that my table will show that quite clearly. It is a very full document which has taken a great deal of work to prepare.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerCan the right hon. Gentleman tell the House whether any compensation has been received from any source in any of these cases?
§ Following are the particulars:
| The following British ships were attacked without any damage being done.* | |||||
| — | Date. | Form of Attack. | Where. | Position. | |
| 1936. | |||||
| 1. | S.S. "Kingsborough" | 20th July | Bombed | Mediterranean | — |
| 2. | H.M.S. "Blanche" | 17th August | Bombed | Mediterranean | Off Melilla. |
| 3. | S.S. "Etrib" | 31st December | Fired at | Mediterranean | 1½ mile 210° Europa Point. |
| 1937. | |||||
| 4. | S.S. "Blackhill" | 1st January | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | Approximately 20 miles N.W. of Pasajes. |
| 5. | H.M.S. "Royal Oak" | 2nd February | Bombed | Mediterranean | 36° 10′ N., 4° 45′ W. |
| 6. | S.S. "British Endeavour." | 6th February | Bombed | Mediterranean | 100 miles 75° off Gibraltar. |
| 7. | S.S. "Pizarro" | 6th February | Bombed | Mediterranean | 12 miles south of Adra. |
| 8. | H.M.S. "Havock" | 13th February | Bombed | Mediterranean | 37° N., 1° 10′ E. |
| 9. | H.M.S. "Gipsy" | 13th February | Bombed | Mediterranean | 37° N., 1° 10′ E. |
| 10. | S.S. "Nailsea Manor" | 10th March | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | 40° 37′ N., 4° 53′ E. |
| 11. | S.S. "Magdalena" | 27th March | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | 43° 50½′ N., 4° 05′ W. |
| 12. | H.M.S. "Gallant" | 6th April | Bombs dropped near. | Mediterranean | 337° 15 miles from Cape San Antonio. |
| 13. | S.S. "Gwenthills" | 21st June | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | 43° 31′ N., 3° 13′ W. |
| 14. | S.S. "Noemijulia" | 6th August | Bombed | Mediterranean | 42° 13′ N., 3° 45′ E. |
| 15. | S.S. "Bramhill" | 28th August | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | 136° Cape Penas 5 miles. |
| 16. | S.S. "Carpio" | 29th August | Fired at by torpedo from submarine. | Mediterranean | 38° 55′ N., 0° 20′ E |
| 17. | H.M.S. "Havock" | 31st August | Torpedo attack from submarine. | Mediterranean | 38° 46′ N., 00° 31′ E. |
| 18. | S.S. "Hillfern" | 10th September | Fired at | Bay of Biscay | 43° 57′ N., 5° 20′ W. |
| 19. | H.M.S. "Fearless" | 17th September | Bombs dropped near. | Bay of Biscay | 43° 39′ N., 5° 42′ W. |
| 20. | S.S. "Cervantes" | 8th October | Bombed and attacked by aerial torpedo. | Mediterranean | 13 miles 165° from Tarragona. |
| 21. | S.S. "Marvia" | 21st October | Bombed and Machine-gunned. | Mediterranean | 41° N, 3° E. |
| The following British ship was damaged by a mine. | |||||
| 22. | H.M.S. "Hunter" | 13th May | — | Mediterranean | 36° 43½′ N., 2° 28½′ W. |
| The following British ships were sunk. | |||||
| 23. | S.S. "Woodford" | 1st September | Torpedoed by submarine. | Mediterranean | 40° 24′ N., 1° E. |
| 24. | S.S. "Jean Werms" | 30th October | Bombed | Mediterranean | 41° 42′ N., 3° 24 ′E. |
| The following British ship was slightly damaged by machine gun fire. | |||||
| 25. | S.S. "British Corporal." | 6th August | Bombed and Machine-gunned. | Mediterranean | 36° 50′ N., 2° 25′ W. |
| * In addition, there have been a few cases where warning shots have been fired across the bows of a British ship on the high seas, for the purpose of conveying an order to stop. As these shots were not fired at the ship they have not been included in this statement. |
4. Mr. Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the total number of protests made by the British Government to the representatives of the Spanish insurgent authorities since August, 1936?
§ Mr. EdenThe hon. Member will recall that a similar question was put to me on 13th April by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, East (Mr. Mander) who, on my request, was so good as not to press his inquiry in view of the great 1141 labour required both here and at His Majesty's Embassy at Hendaye and Consulates in Spain for the collection of the desired information. In these circumstances I hope that the hon. Member will not press his request.
9. Mr. Aclandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement on the preamble to the resolution of the Non-intervention Committee of 4th November so as to show whether it is to be understood that the proposals there referred to as contained in the Van Dulm-Hemming report are to be taken as relating only to the measures which may be necessary to render control more fully effective, or whether they extend so as to refer to the proposals relating to withdrawal of volunteers and granting of belligerent rights?
§ Mr. EdenThe Van Dulm-Hemming report is a confidential document which has been circulated to members of the Non-intervention Committee and sent to the two parties in Spain, but I understand that the proposals contained in it deal solely with the strengthening of control on the land and sea frontiers of Spain and are not concerned with the withdrawal of volunteers or the granting of belligerent rights.
10. Mr. Aclandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give an assurance that His Majesty's Government will not make or support any proposal for the granting of belligerent rights to the parties in the Spanish conflict until an effective system of land and sea control has been established, and until the conditions laid down in paragraph 8 (iii) of the British proposals of 14th July have been fulfilled?
§ Mr. EdenHis Majesty's Government have accepted the resolution proposed by the Non-intervention Committee on 4th November last which provided for the granting of belligerent rights to both parties in Spain when certain conditions including the re-establishment of the control scheme and those enumerated in paragraph 8 (iii) of the British proposals of 14th July have been fulfilled.
Mr. AclandCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he would not require a controlled scheme a good deal more satisfactory than the one originally destroyed, 1142 before he will proceed to grant belligerent rights?
11. Mr. Aclandasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give an assurance that His Majesty's Government will not grant belligerent rights to the parties in the Spanish conflict without having previously given an opportunity for the matter to be discussed in this House?
§ Mr. EdenHis Majesty's Government, together with the other Governments represented on the Non-intervention Committee, have agreed in principle to the resolution of 4th November, of which the granting of belligerent rights, when certain other conditions have been fulfilled, forms part. Should such progress be made as enabled belligerent rights to be granted in accordance with the provisions of the scheme, His Majesty's Government, with the other nations represented on the Non-intervention Committee, would be bound to honour their undertaking. They would, however, no doubt, in accordance with normal practice, give this House an opportunity of discussing their action.
§ Mr. EdenThe hon. Lady must remember that the Government are bound by undertakings they have given with other Governments to implement this agreement if it can be done.