SPAIN.

HC Deb 25 March 1937 vol 321 cc3062-6

51. Mr. Wilson

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the case of Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, who is stated to have formed the Hervey Finance Corporation, Limited, for the purpose of dealing with armaments, and who during the last four months has been acting as agent for General Franco; and why, if nonintervention is in operation, the official receiver undertook to delay the bankrupty adjudication so as to enable Mr. Hervey to carry through his arms deal?

52. Lieut.-Commander Fletcher

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the bankruptcy proceedings of an agent for the purchase of arms and munitions for the rebel leader Franco, when the official received adjourned his application for adjudication for three weeks to enable the bankrupt to put through an arms deal; and whether he has any statement to make?

Dr. Burgin

My attention has been drawn to this case. On the facts before the official receiver adjudication could not have been applied for by him without a resolution of the creditors to that effect. His consent to a short delay at the urgent request of the creditors enabled him to obtain such a resolution which might otherwise have been postponed for a longer period. The practical effect of the official receiver's action is thus to expedite and not to delay the bankruptcy proceedings. The statements in regard to alleged transactions in arms were contained in a written and unsupported document furnished by the debtor who was not present at the creditors' meeting, and I have already arranged for them to be communicated to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for his consideration.

61. Mr. Mander

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to register the agreement regarding non-intervention in Spain under Article 18 of the League of Nations as an international engagement?

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs {Viscount Cranborne)

There is no single document which can be described as "The agreement regarding non-intervention in Spain" as the hon. Member's question implies. The non-intervention procedure has resulted in a number of arrangements which have been arrived at in a number of different forms, sometimes as the result of communications by diplomatic note, at other times as the result of resolutions taken by the representatives of Governments on the Non-Intervention Committee. The question of registration is, therefore, a complicated one which will be duly considered by His Majesty's Government.

Mr. Mander

In view of the fact that no international engagement is binding until it is so registered, will the Noble Lord give immediate attention to that?

Viscount Cranborne

I have already said that this matter is being duly considered.

Mr. Mander

Is the Noble Lord aware that in the meantime it is not binding?

66. Lieut.-Commander Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the reason for the delay in bringing into effect the ban on the passage of foreign armed nationals to Spain?

Viscount Cranborne

I would refer the hon. Member to the second part of the reply which I gave to the right hon. Member for Limehouse (Mr. Attlee) on 8th March, from which he will have seen that the prohibition has been in force since midnight 20th-21st February.

Miss Wilkinson

Is the Noble Lord still without information as to the landing of foreign nationals on 28th February, and 5th and 8th March?

Viscount Cranborne

All our information goes to show that the ban is in force and is being observed.

Miss Wilkinson

In that case, could the Noble Lord explain why his information still seems to be different from the information of the Foreign Office in France?

67. Mr. Acland

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the capture by Spanish Government forces of gas masks abandoned by the Italian troops, His Majesty's Government will take active steps now to secure that there shall be impartial observers placed in Spain forthwith at suitable points in order that authoritative information as to the origin of gas may be given to the world promptly if this form of warfare should break out?

Viscount Cranborne

His Majesty's Government have no reason to suppose that either side in the civil war intend to resort to the use of poisonous gases for military purposes.

Mr. Acland

Would it not be a good thing to have somebody there on the spot in case they do?

Miss Wilkinson

If the Noble Lord will not send suitable observers out there, how will he be able to get this information which he is always assuring us he never has?

Viscount Cranborne

I have said that we have no reason to suppose that poison gas is going to be used by either side.

Miss Wilkinson

If it is used, will the Noble Lord again say that he has no information?

Mr. A. Henderson

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the refusal of the Passport Office to afford passport facilities to Claude Cockburn, special correspondent of the "Daily Worker," to proceed to Spain, and whether he will make a statement?

Viscount Cranborne

Yes, Sir. This gentleman previously served in the Spanish civil war as a volunteer in the Spanish Government forces. His request for the necessary special endorsement of his passport was refused in view of his past military activities in Spain. I hope that it is unnecessary for me to assure the House that this was the sole ground on which the refusal was based, and that no question whatever arose of discrimination on political grounds or as between journalists or newspapers.

Mr. Henderson

Is the Noble Lord aware that Mr. Cockburn served with the Spanish forces prior to the declaration made by the Foreign Secretary as to the legal position of nationals of this country, and in view of this unusual interference with the right of a newspaper to appoint its own special correspondent, may I ask whether inquiries were made of the newspaper concerned as to the validity of the reporter's credentials?

Miss Rathbone

Is the Noble Lord also aware that Mr. Cockburn has stated that he has not any intention of engaging in combatant activities, and is willing to give a definite assurance to that effect? Does that not affect the decision?

Viscount Cranborne

No, Sir. It seems to me that in these cases we must draw the line somewhere. Here is a man who has actually been fighting in the civil war. It is true that it may have been before the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the ban, but it is true also that that was the existing law. Here was a man who had taken part in hostilities, and I think it was a perfectly legitimate action for the Government to take.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Is it not a matter of common knowledge that no one knew it was against the law, and that it took the Law Officers themselves a considerable time to find it out; and since this man is prepared to give a pledge that he will not serve again, surely it is straining the limits of restrictions upon the Press to refuse him that permission?

Viscount Cranborne

No, Sir. Here is a man who has taken part in the hostilities, and it cannot be said that he is the only man available to the Press for this purpose.

Mr. Attlee

What is the objection to his being a newspaper correspondent because he has served in the civil war?

Viscount Cranborne

I have made the objection quite clear. Here is a man who has fought in the civil war, and there are many other people who have not taken part in the war who could go to Spain as newspaper representatives.

Mr. Attlee

The Noble Lord has not answered the point. Why is this man necessarily disqualified from being a reporter because he has served in the civil war?

Miss Wilkinson

Is there not a precedent in the case of Dr. E. J. Dillon, who fought in the Greek war and later—

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Miss Wilkinson

On a point of Order. Surely in a matter of this sort I am entitled to bring to the notice of the Under-Secretary of State the case of a distinguished war correspondent who previously fought in a war and later went as "Daily Telegraph" correspondent to the same country? Is not that a matter of precedent?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Lady will realise that we cannot go into all these incidents of the past.