The Charlotte News

Thursday, March 3, 1938

EDITORIAL

The Old Run-Around

Ever since the Non-Intervention Committee of a score or more of powers was formed to isolate the war in Spain, Britain has been proposing methods of withdrawing foreign troops from that long-drawn-out engagement. And Italy--Italy has either been accepting Britain's proposals (and promptly sending more regiments and air squadrons to Franco), or rejecting them (and promptly sending more regiments and air squadrons to Franco).

One of the considerations that impelled realistic Neville Chamberlain to jettison Eden and hold out the right hand of fellowship to Italy was that now at last Italy could be induced to withdraw her armies from Spain. Britain served notice that she was going to insist upon it. Hence, it is a cynical commentary on Mr. Chamberlain's realism that Italy rejects the latest proposed method of withdrawing troops from Spain, that she demands the right to patrol the French-Spanish border as the price of her co-operation, and that it will take at least two months after any agreement is reached before actual withdrawals commence giving Franco the time and the weather to win the war if he is ever going to win it. Besides there is always a distinct probability that Italy, having agreed to withdraw troops, will promptly send in more troops than she has in the past.

In any event, we begin to wonder if instead of Mr. Chamberlain being the hard-headed realist and Mr. Eden the idealist, their characterizations oughtn't to be reversed.


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