Minutes of Executive Committee

              BASQUE CHILDREN'S COMMITTEE.
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT FRIENDS HOUSE, EUSTON ROAD, N.W.1
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 1937. AT 10 a.m.
PRESENT: 
The Duchess of Atholl, M.P., (in the Chair), 
Mr. Geoffrey Bing ( Spanish Medical Aid, and representing Mrs. Manning ), 
Canon Craven ( Crusade of Rescue ), 
Father Gabana (by invitation) 
Col. Gordon ( The Salvation Army ), 
Lord Listowel, 
Captain Macnamara, M.P. 
Dr. Morgan, 
Miss Pye,
Mr. Wilfrid Roberts, M.P., 
Mrs. Wilfrid Roberts, 
Miss Mary Sutherland, 
Mr. H.V. Tewson, 
Miss Todd,
Senor Uranga, (by invitation) 
Dr. Norman White, (by invitation) 
Mrs  Wood.
Mr. E.P. Harries, (The Trades Union Congress).
The Chairman announced that this was a special emergency meeting, called to consider the motion put forward by Captain Macnamara and Canon Craven: -
"that the children on Father Gabana's list be immediately repatriated.''
She therefore proposed not to take the minutes of the last meeting, and no agenda had been prepared.
CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION.
Mr. Tewson raised at once a protest on the constitutionality of the meeting.  He pointed out that the notion had been fully debated at the previous meeting when it had then been decided that the matter be adjourned until a reply had come about the request, through the Foreign Office, for a delegation to go to Bilbao.
Mr. Tewson mentioned that since there was no such reply, no new circumstances had arisen and therefore members should not   have been called together again so soon.
The Chairman pointed out that she had informed the mover and the seconder of the resolution of this view-point, but had given way to them in her desire to make it as easy as possible for the Committee to secure agreement.
Captain Macnamara emphasised his belief that no reply from Salamanca would be forthcoming and that the matter was therefore one of urgency as the children could not be kept indefinitely in this country awaiting such a reply. Canon Craven emphasised the urgency from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Authorities he represented.   He said he could not stress sufficiently how important it was that