DUPLICITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 4, 6 January 1937, Page 7

DUPLICITY.

ITALY ACCUSED. Troops to Spain After Signing Of New Pact. LONDON RESENTMENT. United Press Association.—Copyright. * (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 5. A Paris dispatch says the French Press considers the dispatch of Italians to Spain, following the conclusion of the new agreement with Britain an unbelievable duplicity. It understood at Cadiz that a further 6500 Italians landed in Spdin, bringing the* total to over 10,000 in two days. Italian and German suggestions that the Mediterranean agreement between Britain and Italy implies Britain's tacit approval of intervention on behalf of General Franco is strongly resented in London. A . message from Rome says that despite resentment in London at the way Italy is straining the text of the' new agreement, authorised commentators continue to find in it that Britain did not intend the Italians to construe a paragraph relating to the territorial integrity of Spain as meaning that the establishment of a republic, apart from General Franco's Government, would be tantamount to a flagrant violation of the status quo. The British and Italian assurances apply not only to the Balearic Isles but to the whole of Spain and Morocco.' Hence Italy would never allow the establishment of a Catalan Republic. Cordial and sympathetic, tempered with realistic observations, is the official description of the Italian reply to the British and French non-interven-tion appeal. The reply, it is believed, is couched in similar terms to the German answer -and amounts to a refusal by Italy and Germany to prohibit the dispatch of volunteers to Spain until all forms of direct and indirect assistance to either side are abolished. It severely criticises Russia. GRAVE VIEW TAKEN. VOLUNTEERS FOR SPAIN. British Official Wireless. (Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, January 5. In London a grave view is taken officially <of the continued arrival in Spaiii of foreign nationals enlisting in the forces of either side in the civil war. Telegrams have been sent to Berlin and Rome, in which the request of the British Government is conveyed for replies to the British and French demarche by the end of the present week at least. AMERICAN ACTION. STOP SALE OF MUNITIONS. WASHINGTON, January 5. A demand for emergency action to prevent shipment from the United States of munitions to Spain will be presented to Congress to-morrow. It is expected that action will be taken by amending the present Neutrality Act.