ITALY’S ASSURANCE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 155, 29 March 1937, Page 9

ITALY’S ASSURANCE

No More Troops to be Sent to Spain REPORT FROM LONDON By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received March 28, 6.30 p.m.) London, March 27. The diplomatic correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph” says that Italy has given Britain renewed assurances that she will send no more men to light in Spain, simultaneously indicating that she will shortly be prepared to discuss the withdrawal of volunteers already in Spain.

MUTINOUS ITALIANS Replacements in Spain GUADALAJARA FRONT (Received March 28, 6.30 p.m.) London March 27. A message from Valencia states that large contingents of Carlists are reported to be replacing mutinous Italians on the Guadalajara front. A Bilbao message states that on Good Friday a sermon was preached in the cathedral and broadcast to the trenches, where loudspeakers carried it both to the attacking insurgents and to the defending loyalists in Biscaya, where there are numerous Catholic Republicans. Biscaya is the only portion of Republican Spain where the Holy Week ceremonies were observed. The churches in Madrid have been closed since the beginning of Hie war, but the ceremonies were observed with traditional splendour and pomp in Seville, where there were processions of the brotherhoods with giant religious tableaux, which included a statue of the famous Madonna of Faith.

Many women who had taken vows to make a pilgrimage to Seville if their husbands and sons were spared until Easter walked barefoot in the procession.

At Salamanca General Franco has pardoned 16 who were sentenced to death, to mark Good Friday.

Insurgent Counter-attack.

At Seville the insurgents counterattacked the loyalists west of I’ozoblaneo, where they claim that they defeated an attempt to relieve the beleaguered town, trapping four international brigades. They also claim to have dispersed with artillery an attack east of I’ozoblanco.

The Republicans, however, claim further successes in the neighbourhood of I’ozoblanco.

In an effort to prevent the rebels encircling I’ozoblanco and driving the insurgents from the province of Cordoba,' Government troops, follow: the tactics which proved successful on the Guadalajara front, bombed and machine-gunned enemy concentrations for hours. They claim that they inflicted great losses, after which they advanced substantially north and south of Pozoblanco. Loyalists Regain Ground. It is reported from Valencia that the loyalists have regained lost ground on the .Malaga front, capturing Monte Deltore. on which peak they have established artillery which is dominating Motril, exactly half-way on the 120-mile road between Alberia and Malaga, where the insurgents had established themselves after the capture of Malaga. The Government claims to have completely destroyed a rebel troop train which was derailed by sabotage at Montoro, after which loyalist bombers set tire to (he rolling-stock and machine-gunned the troops. An insurgent squadron fiercely bombed non-combatant vessels at Port Musel, near Gijon. One bomb struck the bridge of a vessel, fatally catapulting the captain into the sea and wounding several others, after which the deck was raked by machine-gun lire.

The insurgents delivered a night raid on suburbs of Madrid and numerous other towns. Three of the raiding aeroplanes were brought down. Om> of them was piloted by a German, who was killed.

FRENCH SHIP BOARDED (Received March 28, 7.30 p.m.) Perpignan, March 27. Coastguards from Cerbere boarded a French fishing boat bound for Spain in French territorial watersand found 25 men claiming to be Canadians, but of various nationalities, who admitted they were going to fight in Spain. The skipper and the men were placed under police surveillance at Port Vend res. AID FOR CABALLERO Rome, March 26. Newspapers allege that between March 1 and 20 Senor Caballero’s Government received 1300 volunteers. 120 machine-guns, 10 tanks. 225 tons of munitions, 350 lorries, and 50 French. 35 Czechoslovak. 10 Russian, and 4 Dutch aeroplanes. GOVERNMENT CRISIS (Received March 29, 12.30 a.m.) Barcelona. March 27. It is oflieially announced that a crisis has develojied in the Government, which will probably be reconstructed.