"TOTALLY FALSE"

Evening Star, Issue 25768, 15 April 1946, Page 5

"TOTALLY FALSE"

NO ATOMIC RESEARCH IN SPAIN POLISH CHARGES DENIED LONDON, April 13. The Spanish Cabinet, after a meeting lasting until early to-day, issued a communique regarding the Polish accusations that atomic research was being carried out in Spain by German scientists. The communique described the accusations as " totally false." The Cabinet issued an invitation to all members of the United Nations having diplomatic relations with Spain to send technical commissions to Spain. They would have liberty to travel freely throughout the country on the understanding that their findings would be published._ The communique described as absurd the accusation that Spain represented a danger to world peace, and said that the Government once again firmly rejected any kind of outside interference in Spain's internal affairs. Spain's proposal that a technicians' committee from friendly United Nations members should investigate reports that atomic bomb research is proceeding in' Spain is denounced by the Polish delegation to'the.Security Council as a trick move, a view which, the New York ' Herald-Tribune ' says, appears to be widely shared among the other delegations. Ferdinand de los Rios, official representative of. the Spanish Republican Government, suggested that if Franco is ready to invite a commission "for one single purpose " he should be asked to accept a really broad committee which could investigate all the problems concerned in Spain's interior life —concentration camps, people in gaols, secret activity of the security police—and also inspect the troop concentrations in the Pyrenees.

The Spanish • Embassy in Washington states that no instructions have been received from Madrid on the question of making representations to the United Nations.

The ' New York Times,' referring to Spain's qualified offer, reports Security Council delegates as saying: "It is not customary for an alleged culprit to fix his own trial rules or select his judges." Dr Velloso, the Brazilian representative, who had not previously commented on the Spanish issue, told a correspondent that Poland's charges that German scientists are working in Spain on new methods of warfare are " particularly disturbing and must be carefully investigated." The correspondent says that comment is significant in indicating that Brazil may support Poland's charges _ against Spain. This would be an important gain for Poland, which is already assured of Russian, French, Mexican, and possibly Australian support.