SPANISH POPULACE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12257, 22 February 1937, Page 3

SPANISH POPULACE

ACUTE SUFFERING FOOD SUPPLIES SCARCE HELP FROM L RITA IN Madrid, February 19. War strain is beginning to tell on the populace. The food problem i 4 going from had to worse. The whole of the south-eastern Madrid oattle front is aflame, with Loyalists making persistent counterattacks. Everywhere on the southern front the rebel advance has been checked or forced hack. A tribunal of the Popular Front acquitted'S3 persons captured in a raid on Angel Mountain, accepting them as Socialists who had to fight against their will. The public cheered the verdict. The accused joined the Popular Front after one of them had broadcast the result of the trial to the war front, telling his comrades that they would be treated with equal clemency if they surrendered. Government aeroplanes arc reported to have bombed Ceuta, hitting and damaging the new batteries recently installed by German engineers. The British Fleet oiler Cherry Leap is expected to reach Malaga today with a large supply of provisions, mainly intended for children. The provisions have been sent by various relief organisations in Britain through the general relief fund, states a British official wireless message. Efforts to Stop War London,. Feb. 20. According to the diplomatic correspondent of the Morning Post the naval cordon to be thrown around Spain will operate as follows; The British and Portuguese navies will patrol the Bay of Biscay, the French and Ru.'rlßu navies the north-west coast of Spain, the British, French, Russian and Portuguese navies the southern coast and the Italian and German navies the eastern coast. The Daily Telegraph says it is proposed that the participating ships should fly a common "non-interven- | tion” flag. 1 Italy, Germany and Portugal have all passed decrees banning volunteers for Spain on pain of imprisonment. A Portuguese communique states that Portugal is poposed to international supervision of the internal life of Spain. Nevertheless she lias invited Britain to attach observers to her Embassy and Consulate. She has chosen Britain in view of her • attitude to the war in Spain, fo the confidence she inspires in other Powers, and to the old alliance uniting her to Portugal. Belgium, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Greece have also prohibited volunteers for Spain. , ’ • According to the recommendation of the Non-Intervention Committee, the Governments participating in the agreement will, from midnight on Saturday, prohibit the enrolment, departure or transit of volunteers for Spain.