SHIPPING WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 9

SHIPPING WAR

GERMAN REPRISALS

FIVE VESSELS CONCERNED

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received January 4, 11 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. The position in regard to the shipping war in Spanish waters is as follows:— The sh ips concerned are the German steamer Palos, the Spanish steamers Soton and Aragon, and the British steamers Etrib and Blackhill. The war began on Christinas Eve with the seizure of the Palos by the Basque Government at Bilbao, after which the German cruiser Koenigsberg, as a reprisal, stopped the Spanish steamer Soton, which grounded, butWvas refloated, and was escorted yesterday into Santona Harbour by two submarines, two torpedo boats, and the entire auxiliary fleet of the Basque Government, as well as aeroplanes. The crew of the Soton, contrary to earlier reports, were not taken prisoner by the Koenigsberg. The Spanish Ambassador in London states that both the Koenigsberg and the Koln have arrived at Santona. The British United Press agency says that the Koenigsberg was outside the harbour when the Soton was taken in. The German reprisal No. 2 is the seizure by the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee of the Aragon. which left Almera on January 1 with a cargo of foodstuffs for Malaga.

, A Valencia communique says that . the Aragon was about four miles soutu ? of Faro de Sabinal when the Admiral ' Graf Spee captured her. The communique adds that the Aragon unt doubtedly has been arrested by the t warship and is being conducted to some , rebel port. J TWO BRITISH SHIPS. A report from Gibraltar states that i a loyalist armed trawler fired on and l stopped the British steamer Etrib from ; Haifa, bound for Liverpool with t oranges, oil Europa Point. The vessel was allowed to proceed after the captain had been 'questioned. The British ship Blackhill (2492 tons), from Bayonne, on arrival at Santander last night, reported that though she was flying the Union Jack four armed insurgent trawlers pursued her for seven miles and fired 16 shots. The Blackhill did not stop, and the trawlers, realising that they were in Basque territorial waters, withdrew. This is the account from the Basque Government. The British United Press representative at Santander states that the Blackhill reported that besides the attack by the trawlers the Koenigsberg stopped and searched her, but there is no confirmation of this report. The British Admiralty confirms that a Spanish insurgent trawler fired on the Blackhill, which was not hit. It adds that it has no confirmation of a search by the Koenigsberg.

SIGNIFICANT FACT. The Berlin correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian" says that the seizure of the Soton followed significantly upon Vice-Admiral Carl's appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy. Senor de Azcarate, Spanish Ambassador in London, called at the Foreign Office and delivered an official report regarding the Soton, in which it is ' stated that the Koenigsberg fired two shells at the Soton, which it obliged to enter Santona, where it ran aground, ibut was refloated. The Ambassador pointed out the jgrave situation caused by the incident. li' The Spanish Government, in order to esave the situation, had been obliged to [instruct the fleet to protect Spanish j:merchantmen with maximum efficiency, firing on ships if they threaten The Berlin correspondent of the Times" says that full discretion has been granted to the captains iof German warships in Spanish waters Ho act independently when they think fit.