Commons Debate Over Question Opened by Mr. Chamberlain London, Nov. 2.
A motion "welcoming the Government's intention to bring the Anglo-Italian Agreement into force" was submitted by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, when the House of Commons met today.
The Labour Opposition vote on the motion will be probably directly negative, but the Liberal Opposition intend to move an amendment disapproving the operation of the Agreement until Italy has "fulfilled her obligations under the Non-Intervention Agreement and withdrawn all Italian troops, airmen and military specialists from Spain, Majorca and other Spanish territories.".
In submitting his motion Mr. Chamberlain said that since the Agreement was made on April 16 he ventured to think that there had been no difference between the two countries. But if the marked improvement in relations was to be maintained, delay in putting the agreement into force could not be indefinitely maintained.
Ten "thousand Italians had been withdrawn from Spain. This number represented half the Italian infantry forces in that country.
"I have received from Signor Mussolini," Mr. Chamberlain declared, "definite assurances that the remaining forces of all categories will be withdrawn when the non-intervention plan comes into operation."
Signor Mussolini, he informed the House, had undertaken that no further Italian troops would be sent to Spain.
Recognition of Empire Mr. Chamberlain said the British Ambassador would be accredited to the King of Italy and the Emperor of Ethiopia.
The Spani: question, he declared, was no longer a menace to the peace of Europe, and there was no valid reason why we should not take a step which would contribute to general appeasement.
Mr. Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia, and General J. B. M. Hertzog, Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, had, cabled their approval of the proposed step às a contribution to peace.
Mr. Chamberlain spoke for 20 minutes.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.