Circular

              From:
MIDDLESEX FEDERATION OF LABOUR PARTIES 
WILLESDEN BOROUGH LABOUR PARTY AND TRADES COUNCIL
and
EAST WILLESDEN LABOUR PARTY 
to
ALL CONSTITUENCY PARTIES, CENTRAL PARTIES, FEDERATIONS  AND M.P'S.
While applauding the N. C. of L's Relief Work for Spain, we deplore the continued failure of the N.E.C. to implement the decision of 1936 Conference, The N.E.C. and the Parliamentary Party have since Edinburgh applied the EARLIER Conference policy of accepting the Non-intervention agreement (IF EFFECTIVE) as a very bad second best, to avoid general war (see N.A.C. Report pp. 169-181 and N.E.C. Report pp. 28-31).     They have ignored the FRESH DECISION TAKEN AFTER THE SPANISH DELEGATES HAD SPOKEN, The final motion moved by Mr. ATTLEE, PARTY LEADER, and UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED after the addition of the bracketed words, was as follows (see pp. 258):-
"The N.E.C. of the L.P., having heard the report of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who visited London, and through them the reply of Mr. Chamberlain, together with further documented information that has been placed before it, emphatically (declares its conviction that the Fascist Powers have broken their pledges of non-intervention, and) endorses the demand made by our Leaders that the investigation of the alleged breaches of the Spanish Non-intervention Agreement should be pressed forward with the utmost speed.     It demands that the report of this investigation should be made public, and, in the event of it being found that the Agreement has either been ineffective, owing to the lack of machinery of supervision, or has been definitely violated, the French and British Governments being responsible for the initiation of the Non-intervention policy should take steps FORTHWITH TO RESTORE TO THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT THEIR RIGHT TO PURCHASE THE ARMS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE AUTHORITY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT IN SPAIN and to re-establish law and order in her territory.
To this end it urges the fullest collaboration between these Powers and other Powers who have been loyal to the Agreement.
In view of the fact that the conduct of all action arising out of the Spanish situation has been entrusted to the N.C. of L., in consultation with the I.F.T.U. and the L.S.I., the N.E.C. will immediately take steps to arrange a meeting of the N.C. of L. WITH THE OBJECT OF CARRYING OUT THE POLICY EMBODIED IN THIS STATEMENT."