NOT COMPLETE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 7, 8 July 1938, Page 9

NOT COMPLETE

TALKS WITH BURGOS

BOMBING OF SHIPS

FURTHER REPLY

AWAITED

(British Official Wireless.) "i; * j (Received July 8, 11 a.m.)' RUGBY, July 7. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. C. R. Attlee) asked the Prime Minister in the House of Commons whether he could now make a full statement in reference to General Franco's reply to the British Note on the bombing of British ships in Spanish ports. ; Mr. Chamberlain said he was not in a position to do so, since the con-: sultations were not yet complete. He added: "Britain has found it necessary to ask Burgos to explain the exact meaning which Burgos attaches to the disclaimer of its intention to mfike deliberate, attacks on British ships. Britain has frequently expressed its view that deliberate bombing and sinking of merchantmen have never been permitted by international law, still less the machine-gunning of their bridges and decks.

"I might add," he said, "that Burgos has intimated its intention to make practical proposals with the object of humanising warfare as far as possible, and I need hardly say that Britain will give any such proposals the most sympathetic. consideration. . DIFFICULTY OVER SAFE PORT PROPOSAL. "The Chancellor of the Exchequer, has already informed the House of Burgos's \ suggestion for the establishment under certain restrictive conditions of a safe port at Almeria. Preliminary examination of this suggestion has revealed certain difficulties, such as deficiencies in the facilities afforded by such plan for the discharge of vessels, communications with the rest of Spain, and other factors. The position at the moment is that the^Government has under consideration the views of British shipping interests on the subject. • "Reply to the inquiry which we have addressed to Burgos must of necessity take several days, but I will keep the House informed of any further developments." Mr. Attlee asked Mr. Chamberlain whethet there was not danger that the proposal for a special safe port might be taken as an admission of the right |to bomb ships in other ports. Mr. Chamberlain replied: "I think that is a consideration which must be kept in mind." He added that Sir. [Robert Hodgson, British agent in Spain, was remaining in London until the Government received a further reply from Burgos. Asked, whether the.Spanish Government was being consulted about these proposals, particularly that regarding the safe port, Mr. Chamberlain replied: "They have not got to that stage yet."