Minutes of General Council (extract)

              Item 198.  Spain.
Mr. Hallsworth gave a report of the interview which he and Dr. Hugh Dalton had had with the Prime Minister on 24th January.    They had been introduced by Mr. Attlee.
Mr. Hallsworth referred to correspondence with the Prime Minister, dated 19th January, 1939, and the National Council of Labour's decision of 24th January, and gave an outline of the statement he had made. He had dealt with four points, namely the question of allowing the Loyalist Government to buy arms, the question of Britain's security, the possibility of massacre, food supply for Spanish people.
Part of what the Prime Minister had said to the Deputation had to be regarded by them as confidential. The Prime Minister's statements which Mr. Hallsworth was free to report to the Council had been to the following effect:
Arms.
In the view of the Government, reversal of the policy of non-intervention would not have the effect the Labour Movement thought, but would lead to an extension of the conflict.