INTERVENTION IN SPAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 December 1936, Page 7

INTERVENTION IN SPAIN

MR. EDEN’S REBUKE ABSENCE OF SINCERITY [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS] RUGBY, December IS. ( In the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Eden) spoke on the Spanish situation. He said that the British Government would like to see the Government in Spain that Spain wanted. “We think it is the duty of all nations to keep out of the Spanish quarrel and to allow the Spanish people to settle their sufficiently tragic difficulties themselves,” said Mr. Edfen. “if anyone thinks that our support for the non-intervention plan, is because of sympathy for this or that side they are mistaken. We support the policy which we believe will be the best for Europe at this time.” The Government was searching to improve the non-intervention plan. Obviously the best method would be to institute effective control. If the principal nations in Europe really wished to make the non-intervention agreement effective, control would be quite simple, but it they did not wish to make non-inter-vention effective, then it was beyond the wit of man to devise any system of control which would operate successfully. Referring to the recent move by Britain and France, Mr. Eden said it had a dual objective: (1) To reinforce the efficacy of the non-intervention agreement, and (2) to make an effort towards mediation. “Neither we nor the French Government have any intention of desisting in our attempts to secure mediation in this conflict,” he added. “We intend to persist, perhaps using slightly different methods of approach, because we believe that, the time will come when those efforts will ultimately be rewarded.” Mr. Eden also spoke of the importance of the humanitarian work in which His Majesty’s diplomatic and consular officers had taken an active part, and to which the Navy had rendered great assistance.,This work, besides saving life, served to reduce the bitterness between the contending forces. Mr. Eden also commended the work of the Scottish ambulance. As a result of its activities, as many as 200 persons had been evacuated weekly from one port alone. He could not give the total figures, but it would not surprise him if, in the final reckoning, it were found that the total of prisoners exchanged reached five figures. It was hoped that an exchange of a further 4000 prisoners between the Basque and Burgos authorities would be effected in the near future. Mr. Eden favoured the League's giving technical assistance to the Spanish Government in the co-ordination of transport to ensure food supplies for Madrid. The Government would be willing to do anything to facilitate the efforts of private organisations to make good the deficiencies in medical supplies. Moreover, though he believed that fortunately there had been no use of gas, there was nothing to prevent the dispatch of gas masks to Madrid. In this matter the British Government had been approached by the Madrid Government and it had itself sold a small consignment to it.

MEDIATION EFFORTS [BRITISH OFFICIAL W’IRELESS.] RUGBY, December 19. Commenting on Mr. Eden’s speech in the Commons, the “Daily Telegraph” says: Non-intervention remains the keystone of the British policy with regard to the Spanish Civil War. No other rational course is open to us. The British Government’s aim has been, and is, to make non-intervention as effective as possible. If the principal Powers were in earnest, said Mr. Eden, they could make it effective by a quite simple system of control. If they do not wish it to be effective, it is beyond the wit of man to devise a really effective system. That is? the plain truth of the position. Meanwhile, the British and French Governments are not inactive in their efforts for mediation. If the military stalemate continues, .war weariness will assert itself the sooner, but the tempo of this murderous conflict cannot be regulated from London or from Paris. It depends on the combatants themselves, and on those who persist in adding fuel to the flames.

GERMAN ANNOYANCE. BERLIN, December 20. The speech of the British Foreign Secretary (Mr. Eden) on the Spanish situation has angered Germany. An official news agency declares that it asonished competent quarters. It is incomprehensible that Mr. Eden should have accused Germany and Italy of not observing the non-intervention pact in the same breath as he mentioned Russia. Mr. Eden said that in spite of arms going to Spain from Germany, Italy and Russia, the non-intervention pact had reduced the significance of these breaches. The “National Zeitung” says that Germany long ago proposed a more effective formula, but Britain and France, which are so fond of speaking in the first person, turned it down. The “Boersen Zeitung” regards Mr. Eden’s omission of France from the list of interventionists as showing whither blind love can lead.” POLAND'S DECISION. LONDON. December 19. 'Poland is the first country to ban volunteers for Spain. The Polish Ambassador has notified Lord Plymouth (chairman of the Non-Intervention Committee) that Poland has decided to prohibit volunteers serving for either side. The penalty will be loss of Polish nationality. U.S.A. GUNBOAT. WASHINGTON. December 18. The Department of State has confirmed the report that a Spanish Fascist cruiser fired a shell which hit the water 500 yards from the American gunboat, Erie, which was anchored in the port Dijon. No damage was done, and no official action is contemplated. There was nothing to indicate that the Spanish vessel was attempting to hit the Erie. The Erie has been ordered home. The Navy Department denied that the order has any connection with the shell episode. RUSSIAN SHIP SUNK. (Received December 21, 1 p.m.) MOSCOW, December 20. The Soviet confirms the report of

a Spanish rebel warship sotting on fire and sinking the Russian Shipping Trust’s steamer Komsomol, due at Gibraltar on December 15. with 6209 tons of manganese iron ore. consigned to a Belgian firm at Ghent. The sinking occurred between Oran and Cartagona on December 14. The fate of the crew of thirty is unknown. “Izvestia” declaring that the Fascist rebels are playing with fire, threatens reprisals for “this outrageous act of piracy.”

CONDITIONS IN MADRID BRITISH DELEGATES’ REPORT [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December IS. A long report by the six members of the House of Commons who left London last month to enquire into the situation in Madrid, reviews the condition of the civilian population, prisoners, and the sick and wounded inmates of the hospitals. The report states that by December, between one-third and onequarter of the houses in Madrid were estimated to have been destroyed. The bombardment, both from the air and by shell fire, had been most intense in the crowded working class districts. Incendiary bombs were used about the middle of November, and some heavy bombs of 200 kilos, which had completely demolished whole blocks of buildings. There was good evidence that the insurgents used a small number of gas shells in University City. Should gas be used, even if only in the. fighting line, the effect upon the civilian population could not fail to be absolutely appalling. They had appealed to the British Foreign Office to make a large supply of gas masks available for purchase by the Spanish Government. There was a serious shortage of food, and fuel and meat were unobtainable. Foods for infants and young children, which were specially needed in the circumstances, were exceedingly scarce. GERMANS FOR FRANCO LONDON, December IS. Sir Percival Phillips, special correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” writing from Gibraltar, /states that foreign reinforcements for General Franco are arriving irregularly at obscure ports and landing under the protection of insurgent, warships. It. is stated that 6,500 Germans disembarked at the.week-end, and it is believed that 15,000 are already in Spain. The movements of these men from Germany are carried out with remarkable secrecy. They receive orders to embark for an unknown destination, which they are bound to obey. They arrive in mufti, accompanied by packing-cases .stencilled with German Government marks, and containing uniforms, in which they appear before entering their billets. All are clad in khaki of excellent quality. The golden German eagle worn on the men’s forage caps is easily distinguishable. - The motor transport includes the latest German eight-wheel models. Many small tanks, which are believed to be of Italian make, have gone northward from Seville by train, accompanied by their personnel, which is. either Spanish or Italian. Many Germans have also gone to Madrid.

It is understood that General Franco is delaying his final attack on Madrid until he has completed his dispositions of men. guns, and tanks. M. Dekerilis, a National member of the French Chamber of Deputies, declares that 82,500 non-Spaniards are fighting in Spain, of wfipm 54,500 are on the side of General Franco, including 30.000 Germans and 24,000 Moors. The Government forces include 12,000 French, 10,000 Russians, and 2000 each of Belgian, Polish, and German troops.

SHELLING MADRID. (Recd. Dec. 21, Noon). MADRID, December 20. The only echo of the Christmas truce suggestions is the thunder of rebel shells falling on the capital, while the defenders’.famous repeat-ing-gun retaliates, shelling the rebel positions, amid a burst of machinegun and rifle fire. Both sides are better organised than ever. The general military position is tin--changed, despite sporadic successes on either side. A column of Irish volunteers for General Franco left Lisbon for the front. The loyalists dubbed them “Irish Moors,” in contradistinction to the term ‘blonde Moors,” applied to the insurgents’ German auxiliaries. AMBULANCE FUND. NEW YORK. December 19. Contributing a personal cheque for fifty dollars, Lord Marley conducted an appeal for funds at a dinner in his honour. It resulted in raising .3000 dollars for an ambulance to be sent to the Loyalist Government of Spain.