GERMAN FORCES IN SPAIN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21975, 26 December 1936, Page 11

GERMAN FORCES IN SPAIN

firm Warning Issued By France SERIOUS VIEW IN BRITAIN j DANGER OF EUROPEAN I CONFLICT (UNITED TRESS ASSOC lAT I OX —COPYRIGHT.) (Received December 25, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 24. It now appears that the French Foreign Minister (M. Delbos) did not act alone in warning Germany J that if she continued to help the rebels in Spain continued non-in- | tervention could not be relied on. j Ris understood that the British ! Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) informed the German Ambassador to London (Herr Joachim von Rib--1 bentrop) before his departure for | Berlin of Britain’s seuious view of the German forces in Spain. The diplomatic correspondent of I the “Manchester Guardian” says that German labour is intensely interested in the Spanish war. Partisanship among the workers has increased, because many German socialists are fighting on the Spanish Government’s side. The Paris correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says it is understood M. Delbos received Count Wetczeck, the German Ambassador, and warned him that if further German military reinforcements were ■sent to Spain, it would become practically impossible to maintain even the emptiest appearance of neutrality, and that a European conflict might follow. The Paris correspondent of the “Morning Post” says M. Delbos told Count Wetczeck that France would not continue indefinitely to watch .Germany transporting an army to Spain, but what steps the French Government is meditating as a reply are not known. It is at least clear that the French Government ' .considers that the limit to what can (be tolerated from Germany in Spain either has been reached or is in eight, and that France is now trying to convince Germany that she means what she says. If Germany refuses to believe this, France may be forced to take some step which will convince Germany that she also is capable of firmness and action. It is reported from Berlin that " ; Herr Hitler had long consultations ! yesterday with General Goering andJ General von Blomberg, and other Nazi chiefs, but the fact that he subsequently left for Berchtesgaden to spend Christmas indicates that no crisis is imminent. He is not expected back in Berlin before January 11. The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Herald” suggests that Italy may shortly abandon hope of a fascist victory in Spain and withdraw her help from General Franco. The correspondent says that Signor Mussolini is impressed with General Franco’s failure to make good his promises. Another factor is Italy’s anxiety for Mediterranean agreements with Britain and France. ' It is stated in Madrid that 20,000 German soldiers have disembarked in Spain since the meeting of the league on December 12. Germans are distributed on all fronts. Spanish Trade A special correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that German efforts to capture Spanish trade perturb British importers, though the threat to the orange and olive oil businesses is partly overcome by the suspension of the procedure for clearing trade debts. A London importer is handling one-third of the Spanish bitter orange crop—3oo,ooo cases—which are used mainly for marmalade. He is employing thousands of British workers, for the making of 80,000,000 glass jars annually is entailed. Oranges will be double their usual price at Christmas. The Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Mail” suggests that Herr Hitler and General Goering, who is in tharge of the four year plan, discussed the most important subjects with leading business men from all over Germany on December 18, and told them that the army’s interests must precede everything else, that Germany must produce essentials at whatever cost, and must dispense with all things which were nor essential and that Germany was almost in a state of war. It was made clear that the key to the riddle was Germany’s championship of the Spanish insurgents, thus supporting the belief that there are serious German commitments in Spain. arrest of french civil SERVANT STAVISKY AFFAIR RECALLED PARIS, December 23. A section of the press, in discussing the arrest of Mme. Suzanne \\Linder and M. Rosenthal, talks of Another Stavisky affair. Action was taken after suspicions aroused in the mind of a junior stenographer in Mme. Linder’s department, from which several documents are allegedly missing. /Mme. Linder, who was employed as a secretary at the Quai d’Orsay, Was arrested yesterday for alleged complicity in the forgery of documents to facilitate the export of arms m Spain. Mme. Linder’s suite of fooms in a fashionable,hotel was incompatible with her salary, but she s aid that she privately conducted an estate agency which the police * allege was the centre of an extansive arms traffic. M. Rosenthal Was also arrested.