A week ago, the parliamentary committee for Spanish affairs sent two Labour MPs, George Strauss

George Russell Strauss, militant Labour MP, 1929–31 and 1934–50.

and Aneurin Bevan, to see me. The food situation in Spain is desperate. Private benefactors and public charitable organizations cannot cope with the problem. Wouldn’t the Soviet government agree to the following plan: the USSR publicly announces that it is sending a certain number of ships with provisions for Spanish women and children, and proposes to the governments of Britain, France and the USA that their countries should join in the effort by sending a certain number of ships and providing convoys for the vessels bearing provisions. According to the committee, the advantages of this plan are the following: (1) If the four powers named above do arrange food supplies to Spain, then that’s marvellous. (2) If they don’t, which is more likely, Chamberlain will find himself in a very difficult position, his standing inside the country will weaken, and his intention of reaching an agreement with Mussolini about granting belligerent rights to Franco during the forthcoming visit to Rome on 11 January will be in jeopardy. (3) The prestige of the USSR and sympathy towards it will increase, especially in the USA. (4) Thanks to the Soviet action, the gathering in England of donations and food products for Spain will be facilitated. Moreover, the British government will have to assist with this collection in whatever form it finds most convenient.