CHILD REFUGEES " RED" TAPED

Repatriation Difficulties
The National Joint Committee for Spanish Relief has formally refused to recognise the requests (printed in the Catholic Herald) of parents and guardians for the repatriation of their children at present in Britain unless such requests are officially authenticated.
The Committee states that authentication is possible only through the acting British Consular representative in Bilbao.
The "Catholic Herald" is enquiring into the exact legal nature of the authority by which the Committee holds the children in this country. Thai the Committee's sympathies are, in effect, with the enemies of Nationalist Spain has never been denied.
Whatever the real reasons for the Committee's reluctance to co-operate with the Catholic Herald in returning the children to such parents as have asked urgently for their repatriation we must put first our earnest desire to help in this work.
In accordance with the requirements of the Committee the Catholic Herald is notifying all parents who have asked for their children, to send copies of letters they have written to the paper to the British Consulate at Bilbao. The Nationalist authorities have also been informed of this procedure and have expressed gratitude for the work that is being done by the Catholic Herald.
The Catholic Herald's offer of financial help in repatriating the children still holds good. This offer was made possible largely through the generosity of a benefactor but further promises of money for the same purpose will be gratefully acknowledged.