LEAK OF INFORMATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 151, 23 December 1938, Page 9

LEAK OF INFORMATION

FRANCO'S MILITARY PLANS

EXTENT OF ARRESTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.! (Received December 23, 9.10 a.m,)

LONDON, December 22.

Diplomatic circles say that the nationalist maps found in Mr» Goodman's Consular bag at San Sebastian were not the only military information which had strayed from the nationalist command. It has been

General Franco.

confirmed that one of General * Franco's officers went over to the ref publicans, taking most of the plans of the Gatalonian offensive, which l consequently was postponed at the - eleventh hour. • The extent of the recently; reported " arresls of nationalist officers is be- [ Keyed to have been over-stated, I though the reported restiveness : among General Franco's staff is \ accepted as a fact. , The "Daily Mail" gives the name s of the arrested British messenger as ■ J. Rattenbury. / The Australian Associated Press i learned that none of the Consulate ; officers implicated in the bag mystery , are paid members, of the service. Mr. Goodman is a Britisher who has been resident in Spain for many years, and who acts in an honorary capacity, and was granted certain special allowances after the outbreak of the war. There is no confirmation of reported arrests by the nationalists of a Britisher named Ernest Golding, who is replacing Mr. Goodman, and of the British messenger J. Rattenbury. Neither is immune from arrest. Golding is classed as a "pro-Consul," which is the lowest consulate grading. Two prominent French officials at San Sebastian have been arrested. A nationalist foreign office statement declares that the consular bag has been a regular channel of spy comI munications, and thanks Britain for : its assistance after the discovery. , VAST NETWORK OF SPIES. The nationalists deny that there have been military revolts. They admit the discovery of a vast network. of spies. The Hendaye correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says that there is growing war weariness and resentment at interference by Italian and German staff officers in domestic affairs. The slogan "Spain for the Spaniards" is increasingly heard. Two hundred arrests made at San Sebastian arose largely from anti-Italian feeling leading to the wounding of the secretary of the Italian Consulate. It is believed that an official report suggests that statements from correspondents at Hendaye are not exaggerated. The aVrests that have been made probably total at least 1500, including a number of highly-placed officials.