"How much more terrible it would be." declared Mr. Chamberlain, "if the area of conflict should' be "Phe British Government had put £20,000 at the disposal of the Inter-ational Commission for Assistance to Child Refugees in Spain, and had paid a further £20,000 to the Commission. When the need arose, he had no doubt that they would' be! ready to do more.
The Government had already addressed an appeal to General Franco to exercise all possible humanity in the. elreumstances prevailing—in Catatonia, Before the fall of Bar-colony, many people expected that fis fall would be followed by a terrible massacre. Yet nothing of the kind had happened, and members of the Opposition "might have offered thanks for it.
The British policy in Spain was one of strict impartiality.
"The reason we refused belligerent rights to General Franco," Mr. Chamberlain declared, "was that this fs not a civil war merely, but a matter complicated by the interven tion of Foreign Powers on one side or another.'
The Government would not reverse fts_policy of non-intervention.
Referring to a suggestion made by the Opposition Leader that a victory for General Franco might be 3 strategic threat to Great Britain, Mr. Chamberlain twitted Mr. Attlee for disbelieving' the assurances given by Signor Mussolini and Were Miter.
The Premier reminded Mr. Attlee that only the other day in Rome. Lord Halifax (the Foreign Secretary) and himself had received fresh and Fepeated assurances from Signor Mussolini and Count Ciano. These assurances were that Italy had nothing to seek from Spain once the
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