Joint statement : International Federation of Trade Unions and the Labour and Socialist International

              PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
LABOUR PARTY.    INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
SPAIN.
The I.F.T.U. General Council and the L.S.I. Executive, meeting in Paris on the 28th September, 1936, reaffirms their declaration of the 28th July, 1936, that in accordance with the existing rules of international law the legal government of Spain should be permitted to obtain the necessary means for its own defence. This Government represents the immense majority of the Spanish people, irrespective of political or religious beliefs.
Having heard the statements of comrades Pascual Tomas (delegate of the Spanish Trades Union Centre) and Jimenes de Asua (delegate of the Spanish Socialist Party) on the situation in Spain, they emphasise the importance of the declaration of the Spanish Foreign Secretary made before the League of Nations that the Generals who rebelled against the legal government which was chosen by the electors on the 16th February have been furnished with arms, aircraft and tanks by Germany and Italy (either directly or through the intermediary of Portugal) even since their signature of the non-intervention agreement.
It is the duty of all governments, and especially the French and British governments, to examine these grave accusations at once.     The international agreement among the Powers to abstain from sending arms to Spain, which was concluded in order to avert the danger of a general war, is only binding so long as it is loyally observed by all. The violation of this new international undertaking by Germany and Italy must inevitably lead to a reconsideration of the situation by the other Powers.