Evening star., 1937-10-02
RUSSIANS DEMAND
N0N-|NTERVENT|0N
SCHEME Be KILLED
Britain and France Seek
Showdown, However,
With Italy.
SPEEDY BLOW TO END
WAR BY WINTER LOOMS
Italy and Germany Believed
Ready to Join in Push to Crush
Valencia Regime.

BACKGROUND
TUenty-seuen Nation Month";
terpention Committee created in
London TN September, 1927, to deal
NTH foreign assistance-arms and
DolunteerS-fOr either side in
Spanish ciUA Dar. Naval patrol
and frontier control Uas set I'd
last Spring, but Germany NTH
drew from participation after
alleged torpedo attack upon cruiser
Deutschland and Britain and
France terminated the patrol to
create the anti-piracy patrol pur-
suant to Nyon agreement of Sep
tember II. France, seeking to
force Italy to ,Uithdraw uolunteers
no1o in Spain, threatened to reopen
French frontier to armed aid.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 2.-Great Britain
and France today sought a show
down with Italy on the Spanish ques-
tion despite a Soviet maneuver ap-
parently designed to force their hand
and anger Rome.
Diplomatic quarters reported that
the Soviet Union demanded abandon
ment Of the entire Spanish non-inter-
vention scheme in note to Lord Ply
mouth, chairman of the 27-nation
Non-1ntervention Committee. The
move would permit shipment of arms
and volunteers to Spain.
Paris and London went ahead with
plans for . three-party conference by
inviting Italy to participate in an
attempt to deal promptly and ef-
fectively with issues relating to foreign
intervention in Spain"
Despite pessimistic reports from
Rome, British and French were hope
full that Premier Mussolini would
accept the invitations.
Diplomats said the Russian move
would form the basis for further Rus
sian negotiations to obtain greater
equality Of opportunity to help the
leftist-inclined government of the war
torn nation.
Old Patrol InelYectve.
The note said that the old non-inter-
vention naval patrol ceased to be ef-
fective when France and Britain with
drew their warships-following similar
action Of Germany and Italy.
Warcraft of the four powers had
comprised the Gordon around Spain to
prevent shipments by water of volun-
teers and war materials.
The Russian demand, together with
the chilling prospect Of an Italo-
German military push to crush the
Valencia government before Winter
sets in and what was believed to be
Italy's impending refusal even to talk
formally about her Intervention in
Spain, created tense tangle of affairs.
Out Of it, France and Britain feared,
may come general European warfare.
Persons favoring the Spanish gov
ernment insisted that its insurgent
foes were aided by abandonment of
the sea patrol, while the government
was hampered by the continued con-
troll of Frances Spanish frontier.
Reply to New System Plan.
The Russian note was described as
a reply to plan to rebuild the nom
Intervention system which was sub
mitted by technical advisers recently
and to which the various governments
represented in the London committee
thus far had raised objections only
to minor details.
Informed diplomats said Russia was
taking the new stand alone. France
was not expected to indorse it.
Some sources thought the Soviet
demand for reopened frontier might
embarrass France, who is holding
the same threat over Premier Musso-
lini to force cooperation with France
and Britain in getting Italian soldiers
out of Spain.
An authoritative forecast that
Premier Mussolini would coldly reject
efforts OF Paris-London diplomats to
talk him into calling Fascist Iegions
home added to the worried concern
In the two capitals over the future
Of the 14-month-old international"