HC Deb 29 March 1938 vol 333 cc1828-9
36. Mr. Mander

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider proposing to the signatories that the operation of the Nyon Agreement should be extended to the protection of Spanish shipping and territorial waters and to the convoying of ships bringing war materials as well as food to the Spanish Government?

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Butler)

A proposal of this nature was considered at the Nyon Conference but was not accepted. I do not think it likely that, if raised again, it would meet with general acceptance and His Majesty's Government, for their part, are not prepared to put it forward.

Mr. Mander

Has any suggestion on those lines been put forward recently by any of the signatories?

Mr. Butler

I am not aware of it.

Mr. Noel-Baker

(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether he can make a further statement concerning the aerial bombardment of the civilian population in the towns and villages of Eastern Spain and concerning the reply which His Majesty's Government have received from General Franco on this subject.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Chamberlain)

The British Agent at Burgos has received a note from the authorities there repudiating the claim that the civil population have been the object of deliberate attack either in Barcelona or elsewhere, and alleging that Barcelona constitutes a military objective of great importance with 200 factories and industrial undertakings for the production of war material. The authorities, at the same time, express their sorrow at the loss of innocent lives and state that they desire, so far as they can, to minimise the effects of aerial activity on the populations of towns and to employ only such means when imperative military necessity leaves them no alternative. His Majesty's Government cannot regard this reply as an adequate justification in view of the exceptional loss of life and injury to the civilian population of Barcelona, but they have been glad to note that no further bombardments of Barcelona itself have taken place since their recent communication on this subject was addressed to General Franco's administration.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Is it not a fact that instead of bombing Barcelona General Franco's German and Italian aircraft have been bombing smaller towns and villages where there are no foreign journalists to make reports and where there are no military objectives of any kind, and will His Majesty's Government make a further protest against this practice?

Mr. Paling

If the Prime Minister cannot accept the answer as any justification of what General Franco is doing, what does he propose to do about it?

Mr. Cocks

Why does not the Prime Minister protest to his friends at Rome—to Lord Perth and to his sister-in-law?