THE ANTI-PIRACY PATROL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22319, 5 February 1938, Page 15

THE ANTI-PIRACY PATROL

ALL SUBMARINES TO BE ATTACKED ORDERS ISSUED TO FRENCH WARSHIPS (UNITED PBESB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received February 5, 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 4. A communique, issued by the French Government expresses its “readiness to order its warships on patrol duty to attack and, if possible, to destroy all submarines found submerged outside Spanish territorial waters on the maritime routes in the Mediterranean.” This is in conformity with the British desire to strengthen the protection given to merchant ships under the Nyon agreement. This resulted from the conference between the British Foreign Secretary (Mr Eden) and the French and Italian Ambassadors. The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that it is now established that British or French patrols encountering any submarine will do their best to destroy it, also that when a ship is sunk in future, the identity of the culprit will be established and the Nyon Committee will authorise the confiscation of property belonging to the offending State to the full value of the damage inflicted. Mr Eden, in the House of Commons, said the Mediterranean patrol had not detected the presence of any pirate submarine in extra-terri-torial waters since the date of the Nyon agreement. A message from Brussels says the Government accepted the Socialist motion that Belgium should join the British and French representations about the bombing in Spain. LONDON COMMITTEE MEETS PLAN FOR WITHDRAWAL OF VOLUNTEERS DISCUSSED (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, February 3. The chairman’s sub-committee of the Non-Intervention Committee met to-day. After a discussion on certain details of financial proposals of the scheme for the withdrawal of volunteers, the committee undertook to submit these proposals to the various Governments with a view to resuming the consideration of the aspects of the scheme at the next meeting. PLAN FOR EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS NEGOTIATIONS MAKE GOOD PROGRESS (Received February 4, 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 3. Negotiations for the exchange of prisoners by the two sides in Spain are making satisfactory progress, according to news reaching London, and it is hoped that before long exchanges on a relatively large scale will be organised. LOYALIST CONVOY ' BOMBED INSURGENT AIR RAID NEAR FIGUERAS PERPIGNAN, February 3. Insurgent aircraft bombed near Figueras a number of American ambulances and 40 lorries driven by Frenchmen which were carrying food to the Government forces. Three were killed and many were wounded. NEGRO OFFICER IN SPAIN SERVICE WITH GOVERNMENT FORCES

(Received February 4, 11 p.m.)

PARIS, February 4. In an interview in Paris, Paul Robeson, the negro singer, said; “I am most impressed and very proud to hear that a young negro, named Oliver Law*, of Chicago, a corporal in the United States regular army, who went to Spain as a volunteer, became commander of the Lincoln Column and was killed in action at Brunete leading his men. “I should like to do a film about him. Negro opinion almost unanimously supports the Loyalists for the same reason that it opposed the invasion of Abyssinia.”