NORTHERN SPANISH PORTS

Evening Star, Issue 22630, 23 April 1937, Page 9

NORTHERN SPANISH PORTS

STEAMERS WAITING TD RUN % BLOCKADE ASSEMBLY AT ST. JEAN LE LUZ Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, April 21. The St. Jean d© Luz correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says: “An assembly of steamers en route for Northern Spanish ports has begun here, including the Grek Pegasos and the British Stanbrook and Stassos. These movements coincide with the skippers’ conviction that the rebel blockade is ineffective regarding mines, the only danger being from cruisers, but other vessels have shown that these can be dodged.”

CONVOY TO THREE-MILE LINE ADMIRALTY’S DECISION. BORDEAUX, April 21. The Admiralty has decided to convoy to the three-mile line outside Bilbao the merchantmen Macgregor (Captain Owen Jones) and Hamsterley (Captain Still), which are now in St. Jean de Luz. Captain Roberts’s achievement has obviously fired Captains Jones and Still to emulation. GOVERNMENT FORTS MINES TO BE LAID. LONDON, April 22. The insurgents broadcast to foreign Governments from Burgos . that they intend to mine all ports ih possession of the Spanish Government. MADRID SHELLED TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE KILLED, MADRID, April 22. (Received April 23, at 1 a.m.) The batteries situated at Cas del Campo fired 300 shells at Madrid, killing 25 and wounding 60 people. APPEAL SY DEAN FUNDS FOR FOOD SHIP. LONDON, April 21. The Dean of Canterbury has issued au appeal for £IO,OOO to enable a Cardiff-owned steamer to go io Bilbao with food within 10 days. ALLEGED RADICAL ACTIVITIES WAS MONEY RAISED FOR LOYALISTS? i HOLLYWOOD, April 21. The Knights of Columbus announced that they are investigating the alleged radical activities of Errol Flynn, based on an interview at Barcelona, ostensibly saying that he, Fredric March, and James Cagney raised 1,500,000 dollars in Hollywood for the loyalists. Flynn has since denied this.

USE OF POISON GAS REPLY TO BRITISH REPRESENTATIONS. LONDON, April 22. (Received April 23, at 11 a.in.) The Spanish Government has replied to representations by Britain. It says: “ We will not use poison gas unless the other side does.” The insurgents have not replied. INSTRUCTIONS TO BRITISH SHIPOWNERS ■ (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 22. (Received April 23, at noon.) The instructions which were issued by the United Kingdom Government to British shipowners regarding ships going to Bilbao are to the effect that the Government is not in a position to advise shipowners that their ships are able to. enter the port of Bilbao. " Regarding other ports, such as Santander and Gijon, the Government advised shipowners that there was a certain degree of risk, and as that risk varied from day to day it could not give any long-term advice. In any event, His Majesty’s ships would afford protection on the high seas if called upon. ANOTHER FOOD SHIP MR LLOYD GEORGE CONTRIBUTES. LONDON, April 22. (Received April 23, at 1,45 p.m.) “ I, too, am a Basque, as was Marshal Foch. The Welsh and Basques are the same race,” said Mr Lloyd George, whose contribution of £250 towards another food ship, probably sailing for Bilbao on April 24, was announced by the House of Commons member, Mr Wilfred Roberts, who states that Captain Russell, master of the Backworth, at present dying at Jmmingham, met Mr Lloyd George and a Basque representative.

The Backworth was chartered by various organisations arranging to send medical supplies and food. Another £2,000 worth is required to complete the cargo. The Backworth may bring back women and children suffering from lack of food.

A mother of three children was recently evacuated aboard a British destroyer, but died of heart failure owing to starvation.

NAPIER MAN'S DEATH SERVED WITH. GOVERNMENT TROOPS. [Per United Press Association.] NAPIER, April 22. News received in Napier to-day recorded the death near Madrid of Mr Fred. Robertson, who was at one time a hospital employee and caretaker at the aerodrome at Napier. Deceased was a seafaring man, and had tried a hand at all sorts of occupations in many lands. He was born in Egypt, but at the time of the Napier earthquake he was at the Napier Hospital, where he earned high praise for the work he did immediately following that tragic disaster. He left Napier a year ago for England, where his father lived. From there he went to help the loyal forces in Spain, being badly wounded on February 15 last during a‘ counter-attack against General Franco’s men. He was left on the battlefield when the defenders of Madrid retired, and it is reported he was slain when the rebels refused to take prisoners. A few weeks ago advice was received here that his father had died, leaving him a fair sum of money.