SPANISH COAST PATROLS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22111, 5 June 1937, Page 15

SPANISH COAST PATROLS

♦ r- ' Safety of Warships i BRITISH PLAN DISCUSSIONS BY FOUR POWERS (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 4, 8.35 p.m.) LONDON, June 4. British proposals for ensuring the safety of foreign warships patrolling in Spanish waters have been communicated to France, Germany, and Italy, According to the diplomatic correspondent of “The Times the principal proposals are:— (1) An extended system of safety zones in Spanish waters, which the Spanish contending forces shall be pledged strictly to observe. (2) Immediate consultation between England, France, Germany, and Italy in the event of a future attack on any of them, based on the principle that the four fleets are performing a common international duty which invests them with a common responsibility. Senor del Vayo (Spanish representative at Geneva) conferred with M. Leon Blum (French Prime Minister) and M. Yvon Delfcos (French Foreign Minister). Senor del Vayo gave the fullest assurance that the Spanish Government would prevent incidents likely to produce further international tension. He also pleaded strongly for the withdrawal of volunteers from Spain as the only means of shortening the struggle. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” says that the German Government, having made reprisals, is willing to find a solution enabling it to rejoin the international control scheme. Official quarters confirm the news of discussions among London, Berlin, Paris and Rome, aiming at effective safeguards for international control vessels in Spanish waters. STEADY PROGRESS BRITAIN ANXIOUS TO RESTORE CONTROL SYSTEM (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIEBLKS9.) RUGBY, June 3. Steady progress is being made with the consideration of proposals for ensuring that vessels engaged in non-intervention patrol work m Spanish waters shall be immune from attack. The growing belief is expressed by the newspapers that the needs of the situation might be met if, coupled with assurances of the two parties m Spain to respect foreign warships, the parties agreed to designate adequate safety zones in certain Spanish ports for use as fuelling bases. In the House of Commons Lord Cranborne (Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs) declared that His Majesty’s Government considered that the essential aim should be full international co-operation in the work of the Non-Intervention Committee, and that the scheme of naval observation on the Spanish coasts should be restored with the least possible delay. The Government had communicated to the governments concerned proposals which it hoped might provide adequate guarantees against the recurrence of incidents such as those which had brought about the existing situation. “It is our hope that these proposals will enable the policy qf nonintervention to be fully resumed by all the governments,” / said Lord Cranborne. “His Majesty’s Government is anxious to make progress as fast as possible with the question of the withdrawal of foreign combatants from Spain. It regards this matter as urgent and hopes that in an atmosphere of renewed international collaboration it may be possible to continue the work for an agreement.” GERMANS APPRECIATE BRITISH HELP TREATMENT OF WOUNDED ON DEUTSCHLAND (Received June 4, 8.55 p.m.) BERLIN, June 4. British treatment of the wounded of the German battleship Deutschland, including the sending of nurses by air, is greatly appreciated. A Gibraltar message states that two more members of the Deutschland’s complement have died. LOYALIST STEAMER WAS MINED ALLEGED TRANSPORT OF INTERNATIONALS LONDON, June 3. A message from Hendaye states that the insurgent headquarters announce that the loyalist steamer Ciudad de Barcelona was mined. It is also alleged that the passengers comprised 385 international volunteers, who had evaded the international control observers at Marseilles. It was earlier reported that this vessel was torpedoed on May 30 by a submarine of unknown nationality.