London, July 16.
Non-intervention in Spain was granted a new lease of life by the unanimous decision of the plenary session of the Non-Intervention Committee to-day that the proposals advanced by the British Government. offered a suitable basis of discussion.
The British plan, which provides for closing the present gaps in the control scheme and, for continuance of the policy of non-intervention, has now been entrusted to the sub"committee which will meet on Tuesday morning to discuss detailed points that might arise.
After the Chairman, Lord Plymouth, had explained the British scheme to the plenary meeting, all members of the Committee decided to accept it, in principle, but several reserved the right to offer amendments in the subcommittee.
The German representative, Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop, and the Italian delegate, Count Dino Grandi, after complimenting the British Government, said their governments were prepared to recognize the plan as a basis of discussion.
Agreeing that speedy action was essential, Herr von Ribbentrop suggested that the plan should be immediately confided to the sub-committee.
For France, M. Charles Corbin emphasized the importance attached by his Government to the interdependence of the withdrawal of volunteers and the grant of belligerent rights.
Reservations on the introduction of amendments were made by the Soviet representative, M. Ivan Maisky, who also accepted the plan as a basis for discussion.
The Portuguese Ambassador indicated that his Government was willing to reinstate observers on the Portuguese frontier when a_ similar course was taken on the Pyrenees border.
In introducing the Britist proposals, Lord Plymouth emphasized that essentially they were intended to provide a workable solution acceptable, if not wholly satisfactory, to all parties.
He said the British Government was very gratified at the tributes to their efforts to find a way out of the difficulties.. M The British Government believed they represented a fair balance between the various points of view and, as a whole, constituted the best practical arrangement that could be found in the present circumstances.
The Committee were naturally, at liberty to discuss any modifications or amendments they considered necessary, but the British Government, Lord Plymouth said, regarded the various items of proposals as closely dependent upon each other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.