RELEASE DEMAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 5

RELEASE DEMAND

GRAIN SHIPS IN SPAIN.

SEIZED BY THE INSURCENTS.

BRITISH NOTE TO FRANCO

(United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON. November 30.

Because no response had been received to a Note demanding the release of the two Greek grain ships seized by General Franco’s raiders, Britain dispatched a further Note to Burgos demanding an immediate and satisfactory answer. It was announced in the House of Commons to-day that the mistake was admitted and acknowledged. An answer to a private notice question on the wheat ships seized by General Franco, gave rise to a demand for discussion on the adjournment of the House, but the motion was ruled out of order by Mr Speaker. Asked what reply had been received by the British Consul at Palma and the British agent at Burgos to the request for the release of the ships, the Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) said that the Foreign Secretary (Lord Halifax) hoped shortly to receive reports.

Mr Chamberlain denied that there had been any delay in demanding the release of the ships, and he mentioned certain other, foreign ships with British cargoes which had been held by the Spanish Nationalists, and that representations had been made.

In a discussion on Mr Speaker’s ruling against an adjournment motion, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) complained of Government dilatoriness in conducting matters of this nature, and he asked for some assurance that more was going to he done on this occasion.

Mr Chamberlain was able to intervene in the discusion to announce that a report had just been received from Palma that although the ships had not yet been released the mistake was admitted and acknowledged. ,

The “News-Chronicle” stated recently that Lloyd’s had sharply raised the war rates on Greek vessels in the Mediterranean because of General Franco’s raiders seizing and taking to Minorca two grain ships which were proceeding from Greece to Hamburg, a third which was bound from the Black Sea to Oslo and a fourth from the Black Sea to the United Kingdom with Rumanian grain, apparently part of the British Government’s “diplomatic purchase.” AEROPLANES FROM CANADA. ORDERED IN NAME OF TURKEY. OTTAWA, November 30. In a statement on questions asked in the House of Lords, alleging that Canadian aeroplanes had been smuggled to Barcelona, Mr -T. L. Ilsley (Minister for Revenue) stated that the papers produced-by a Canadian aeroplane manufacturer, covering the export of 34 machines for Turkey on an order given at the plants, were properly documented when the aeroplanes were shipped. Departmental officials have revealed that the engines were manufactured in the United States and shipped into Canada for assembly. Recently Turkey disavowed all knowledge of the shipment and the aeroplanes were traced to Loyalist Spain.

DEATH SENTENCES SUSPENDED.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS WANTED.

LONDON, November 30

It is stated in official quarters in London that the Spanish Government recently agreed to suspend, on a reciprocal basis, death sentences passed on political and military prisoners. This proposal was also submitted to General Franco’s administration, hut is was not agreed to. Jn spite of this the Spanish Government decided unilaterally to suspend the execution of

such sentences until December 1. A report received in London from the British Commission for the Exchange of Prisoners in Spain states that the prospects for the completion of negotiations for large-scale exchanges of prisoners are very favourable, provided no further executions take place in the meantime on either side.—British Official Wireless.