HEAVY FIGHTING IN SPAIN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22501, 8 September 1938, Page 11

HEAVY FIGHTING IN SPAIN

♦ REBEL OFFENSIVE ON EBRO FRONT ‘ ADVANCES MADE AT GREAT COST (tiHITED PEESS ASSOCIATION —COPTBIOHT.) (Received September 7,2 p.m.) LONDON, September 6. Reporting the heaviest fighting on the Ebro, the Spanish Loyalist Government admits that General Franco’s forces have advanced slightly at the cost of tremendous losses. The Barcelona correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” states that fighting is being intensified on the Ebro front as the rebels hurl against Loyalist positions 150,000 troops who are reported to include eight Italian divisions, many of whose men have recently arrived from Italy. The rebels are supposed to have suffered 25,000 casualties on the Ebro front in five weeks in futile efforts to break through. There have been 20,000 casualties on the Valencia front since July. The rebels are only now partially succeeding because General Franco’s forces are supported by quantities of German artillery. CONTRABAND FOR SPAIN ? CARGO CARRIED BY STANCROFT GIBRALTAR COURT UPHOLDS CROWN APPEAL GIBRALTAR, September 6. The Acting-Chief Justice, Mr Justice Craithie, upheld the Crown’s appeal against the Supreme Court verdict in the Stancroft case, and granted leave to appeal to the Privy Council. Mr D. N. Pritt, K.C., who appeared for the Spanish Republican Government, was censured for of Court for not rising as the Judge left the' Bench. On June 17, at Gibraltar, justices decided that a prime facie case had not been made out against Captain Scott, .master of the Stancroft, who was detained at Gibraltar on May 25 on a charge of carrying prohibited articles to Spain. He pleaded not guilty to the charge; The prosecution had alleged that the prohibited articles found on the vessel included cases of empty shells and nine aircraft engines. A week later, the Chief Justice, holding that the Supreme Court of Gibraltar had no jurisdiction, set aside a writ - whereby the Crown claimed condemnation of the discharged cargo from the British steamer Stancroft, also a warrant for arrest. The, Court, however, refused to allow costs to the defendant, and did not order delivery of the goods, which were said to be worth £30,000. The decision of the Chief Justice (Sir Kenneth Beatty), when the Stancroft case came before him, is reported in a note in the English “Law Journal.” After argument by" counsel, the Chief Justice decided that the Court had no jurisdiction to entertain an action against property belonging to a foreign sovereign State. He added, however.' that he would not make an order for the return to the Republican Government of the Stancroft’s cargo until the end of the Spanish war. Mr Pritt submitted that an impossible position had been created by the Court’s ruling; that the Court marshal had thereby become involuntary bailee for a cargo worth £30,000, the property of a friendly sovereign State, taken by force from its territorial waters. The Chief Justice said the Spanish Government had placed itself in this position by its own action. After further argument by Mr Pritt, who submitted that his clients were entitled to costs, the Chief Justice then said he had no sympathy with shipping companies which loaded munitions of war on board British ships, and which were aware that they were embarrassing the British Government. “I consider,” he said, “that the shipping companies should be responsible for the costs. I attribute the recent bombing of British ships engaged in lawful trade to the fact that contraband goods have been found on board British ships. There will therefore, be no order as to costs.” Mr Pritt then rose and said; “On behalf of my clients, for whom your Lordship says you have no sympathy —a fact which your Lordship painfully and unjudicially obvious— I must protest against statements prejudicial to them which you made without warrant or evidence or justification. With reference to the statements concerning the shipping company, I feel compelled to say that your Lordship’s unwarranted statements are a grave sin against British justice and the honour of the Court.” The Chief Justice, intervening: I wish to hear no further. Mr Pritt: I should be prostituting our honourable profession if I were to say one word less than I have said. The Chief Justice then closed the exchange, saying he saw no reason for the unprovoked attack. BRITISH STEAMER BOMBED ARAB SAILOR KILLED AT ALICANTE LONDON, September 6. ‘ The British ship Marvia, of 1989 tons, owned by the Thamesside Shipping Company, Ltd., was bombed while unloading at Alicante and set on fire. An Arab sailor was killed.