§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if the Italian authorities have reported to the International Board of Control any evidence as to British patrol vessels having protected ships carrying ammunition to Bilbao during the siege, as alleged by the Italian Ambassador?
§ Viscount CranborneNo, Sir.
§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of Signor Mussolini's recently expressed desire for good relations with this country, he will call his attention to the fact that such good relations can only be hindered by the statements of the Italian Ambassador to this country that Great Britain connived at arms and munitions being conveyed to Bilbao during the siege of that town by Spanish rebel forces and ask for a withdrawal of these charges?
1499W
§ Viscount CranborneI assume that the hon. and gallant Member has in mind certain observations made by the Italian representative on the Non-Intervention Committee at the meeting of the Committee held on Friday last. The hon. and gallant Member will have observed that the chairman subsequently stated that His Majesty's Government were not prepared to accept strictures on their conduct in the Spanish conflict from any quarter.
§ Mr. Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will explain to the House the nature of any arrangement or friendly understanding existing between His Majesty's Government and the Government of Spain relating to the mounting of heavy guns in territory adjacent to Gibraltar?
§ Viscount CranborneI cannot at present add anything to the reply to a similar question asked by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Kirkcaldy (Mr. Kennedy) on Monday last.
§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the reasons for the detention of the steamship "Sea Bank" at St. Jean de Luz?
§ Viscount CranborneI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Gorton (Mr. Benn) on 7th July, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in view of the statement of the Italian Ambassador that Italian patrol ships had been compelled to look on while smuggling went on between France and Catalonia, if any instances of such smuggling or of any other evasions of the control system have been reported by Italian or other authorities to the International Board of Control?
§ Viscount CranborneThe hon. and gallant Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The statement to which he presumably refers was that made by the Italian representative at the meeting of the chairman's Sub-Committee of the Non-Intervention Committee on the 2nd July. According to the official communique of the proceedings, he there referred to maritime traffic directed to1500W Spain along the territorial waters of Southern France and Catalonia and carried out by ships flying the Spanish flag and that of non-European countries. The scheme of observation adopted by the Committee does not relate to traffic of this nature.
§ Mr. Noel-Bakerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has received any reports from His Majesty's officers in Spanish waters to the effect that insurgent warships are able to navigate in territorial waters adjacent to the port of Santander; and, if so, on what date or dates these reports were sent?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LlewellinNo definite reports of insurgent warships operating inside the three-mile limit have been received; but a destroyer was observed patrolling on the limit on 11th July. The senior naval officer reported on the 14th July that the insurgent cruiser "Almirante Cervera" and other warships were maintaining almost continuous patrol. Their actual distance from the shore no doubt varies whilst they are on patrol.