FRANCO CALLS FOR PEACE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23945, 12 May 1943, Page 3

FRANCO CALLS FOR PEACE

DEADLOCK IN WAR FORECAST MR HULL REAFFIRMS ' ALLIED AIM LONDON. May 10. General Franco called on the belligerent nations to seek peace when forecasting a deadlock in the war. General Franco, in a speech at Almeria, said: "Those of us who are serenely witnessing the struggle consider it senseless to delay peace. The world war has reached the point where neither belligerent group has the power to destroy its opponent. There may be victories at great sacrifices, but sooner or later a deadlock will force the belligerents to listen to the voices calling for peace—like those of Spain and the Vatican.” Cabling from Washington, the correspondent of the United Press of Great Britain says that General Franco’s peace suggestions met with the cool reception which greeted earlier peace feelers from Europe. United States officials directed attention to the Casablanca pledge of an unconditional Axis surrender. American newspapers say that the speech was a call to peace, but official American reaction has been prompt. At his press conference to-day, the United States Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) said that the unconditional surrender of the Axis was the sole objective of the United Nations. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times” says: “General Franco, in urging peace, is regarded in Washington as speaking for Berlin, although it is pointed out that he has an interest in peace because an Axis defeat would imperil his regime. “General Franco’s statement that Spain had joined the Vatican’s efforts to bring about peace drew the comment in informed Washington circles that the Vatican is not known to have made any peace proposals. Mr Hull dismissed General Franco’s speech by reiterating that the United Nations’ object was the unconditional surrender of the Axis.” CATALINA SINKS U-BOAT (Rec. 7.10 p..m.) WASHINGTON. May 10. A Catalina flying-boat surprised a Nazi submarine on the surface in West Indian waters in March, and sank it with four depth-charges. The Navy Department revealed that rough seas prevented the Catalina from rescuing 11 of the crew who survived the explosions. They were last seen clinging to debris.