Evening star., 1937-10-17
POWERS D|STRUST
PLEDGE OF ITALY.
Token" Withdrawal of
Spain Volunteers Would
Hurt Loya|ists Most.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 16.-Italy today
offered to make conditional token"
Withdrawal of part of the Italian
volunteers fighting with the Spanish
1nsWgent armies, but delegates of
other powers heard the offer with
skepticism.
Count Dino Grandi, Italy's spokes-
man, made the gesture at the session
Of the subcommittee of the q Nations
Non-intervention Committee, sum-
moned to seek means Of preventing
the Spanish war from becoming a
European conflagration.
But he insisted that Withdrawals
be In equal numbers from both Sides"
which competent diplomatic quarters
declared would mean recall of only
small proportion of the Black Shirts
now in Spain even if all foreign volun-
teers were taken from the Spanish
governments ranks.
~AS AAANNpAA'6 Noo hCu Uy I6NlNdl
OF the bitter verbal warfare between
Italy and Soviet Russia, which has
marked the history of the entire
European non-intervention effort.
Maisky Scores Italy.
Ivan Maisky, Soviet Russian spokes-
man in the nine-nation subcommittee,
made slashing attack on the role
Italy has played in the Spanish war.
The only hopeful sign after today's
brief, bitter meeting, informed sources
said, was the willingness of all dele
gates to ask quick instructions from
home capitals on the Anglo-French
last effort to end foreign interven-
ton through committee action:
Both France and Britain were
skeptical. however, of Italy's condi-
tional token withdrawal" offer. Opti-
mism was lacking for the Tuesday
meeting. at which observers said "the
real discussion begins"
Ambassador Charles Corbin outlined
Frances flve-point program thus:
/. Immediate withdrawal of volun-
teers.
2. Granting of belligerent rights
after an international commission re-
ports Withdrawals have been effected
and further under way.
3. Pressure from participating gov
ernments on both Spanish comba-
tants to withdraw a definite num-
ber of volunteers-account being held
OF the proportions to be observed"
4. Prevention of further volunteers
going to Spain.
S. Institution of border patrols on
the lines of the Won Dulmhemming re-
port for rebuilding the non-inter-
vention scheme).
Equality" Idea Opposed.
Informed quarters declared the Ital-
Ian offer would be entirely unsatis-
factory to Great Britain, FraLce
and Russia since withdrawal of equal
numbers from each side would harm
the Spanish Government much more
than it would harm Insurgent Cen
eralissimo Francisco Franco.
Competent diplomatic sources said
10000 blackshirt warriors are now
fighting for the insurgents while
government foreign troops total only
$4,000 Of mixed nationality.
Enmity between Russia and Italy
hared anew when Ambassador Maisky
charged Italy and Germany sought
delay In order to send the insurgents
poison gas and termed Mussolini's
"glorification" of Italian interven-
tion IAN international scandal of the
first magnitude"
Nothing has changed which would
give any reason to believe this prob
lem (intervention) is easier of solu-
ton in the committee than three
months ago. he said. "On the con-
trary. it is probably more difficult"