HL Deb 28 February 1939 vol 111 cc955-6
LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Snell, who is unavoidably absent, I have a Question by private notice to ask of His Majesty's Government; and I should like to precede it by saying that we have heard with great distress of the illness of the Foreign Secretary, which we hope will not be of long duration. The Question is to ask whether His Majesty's Government have any statement to make on the recognition of the insurgents in Spain as the Government of that country.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF PLYMOUTH)

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, I should like to take this opportunity of informing your Lordships that His Majesty's Government took formal action on February 27 to inform General Franco that they had decided to recognise his Government as the Government of Spain, and I understand that the French Government have taken similar action. The reasons for the decision of His Majesty's Government were in the main twofold. First, they could not fail to take into account the fact that, after Barcelona and the whole of Catalonia had fallen into General Franco's hands, he was in control of the greater part of Spanish territory, including the most important industrial and productive areas of Spain. Moreover, His Majesty's Government considered that there could now be no doubt of the ultimate issue of the Spanish conflict, and that whatever show of resistance the Republican forces might put up would be unlikely to do more than cause further suffering and loss of life. Secondly, His Majesty's Government reached the conclusion that the Spanish Republican Government, which was scattered in different places and was no longer exercising settled authority, could not now be regarded as the sovereign Government of Spain. I should add that His Majesty's Government have taken note with satisfaction of General Franco's public statements concerning the determination of himself and his Government to secure the traditional independence of Spain and to take proceedings only in the case of those against whom criminal charges are laid.

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, my noble friend has requested me to say that, while the answer we have just had is not unexpected, we would seek an opportunity as soon as possible of debating this important matter, and we propose to put a Motion down on the Paper and arrange with the Government through the usual channels a suitable time for this matter to be discussed.