SPANISH COAST PATROL

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1937, Page 9

SPANISH COAST PATROL

GERMANY & ITALY WITHDRAW LIBERTY OF ACTION [BY CABLE —PBESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] (Recd. June 24, Noon) LONDON, June 23. The German Ejnbassy has announced that the German' Government will not be willing to ekpose her naval forces, entrusted to the international control task, for further target practice off Red Spain. Germany limited to a minimum the guarantee necessary to ensure the safety of her ships, when she requested a joint naval demonstration. The Governments refused even this minimum request. Germany regrets to have to state that the.spirit of solidarity is lacking among the control Pqwers, which is indispensable to the execution of the common international task. She, therefore, has decided to withdraw finally from the control scheme.

A communique from Rome is phrased almost identically. ' - It is stated in Rome that Italy now resumes the right of liberty of action in respect to acts of .aggression. The German cruisers Koln, Deutschland, Luchs, Leopard and Tiger left Algeciras for .an easterly- direction. The' whereabouts, of the. Leipzig.are not known. ‘ /

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS NO TERRITORIAL AIMS.'' (Received July 24, 1.30 p.m.) BERLIN, June 23. Baron Von. Neurath assured the British and French Ambassadors that Germany is not taking further action in connection with the Leipzig. Herr Von Ribbentrop issued an official explanation of Germany’s attitude, stating she disclaims, territorial ambitions towards Spain or the Spanish, colonies/desiring only Spanish . independence. . For., this reason, it should be the duty of European States to adopt a common attitude towards appeals from Moscow, in the direction of replacing the system of free States by international chaos, tyrannised' by "the Soviet. Germany had consistently tried to confine the Spanish strife to the domestic ambit. bu ; t the action of the democratic States restricted this .plan, especially regarding the supply of volunteers and material to Valencia. , Attacks on German, Italian, and British ships at Palma, forced Germany +o change her base to Iviza, where the attack on the Deutschland compelled Germany., knowing the Committee would not take action, to adopt only natural reprisals. The communique reviews the British and French attitude regarding the naval demonstration off Valencia, and describes it as encouraging pirates in criminal attacks. It adds that Germany would not tolerate doubts of her statements on questions of fact. Moreover an inquiry would be futile.

It was semi-ofiicially announced earlier that Germany had notified Britain that insistence by the Western Powers for an inquiry before a. naval demonstration was incomprehensible, especially in view of the notorious untrffstworthiness of the Bolshevists, which had been particularly revealed in connection with the Deutschland incident. ...

The communique discloses that Germany not only dropped her original demand for reparation, but -the demand for the internment of Loyalist submarines, and agreed to an investigation immediately, alter a naval demonstration, but. as these proposals were rejected, the failure of the Powers to agree was inevitable. Naval control thus became impossible, and participation therein intolerable to any people sensible of its. honour. It was better for individual Powers to take the protection of their own interests into their own hands.

MR. EDEN’S STATEMENT

WITHDRAWAL PARTIAL. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] • RUGBY, June 23. In the course of a statement in the Commons on Germany and Italy’s withdrawal from the Spanish naval control scheme, Mr. Eden said the British Ambassador in Berlin had seen Baron von Neurath concerning the matter, and he had been informed the German Government regretted it had not been possible to reach an agreement, and Germany therefore felt obliged to withdraw ships altogether from the control system. Baron von Neurath said this action was being taken with the specific .intention of avoiding the possibility of an aggravation of the situation', and the German Government would confine itself to this action. The British Government gladly recognises and welcomes the motives which inspire this assurance. “I understand further,” added Mr. Eden, “the German Government does not contemplate ceasing participation in the Non-Intervention Committee. The Italian Ambassador has since been to see me, when he informed me that his Government had also decided to withdraw its ships from the control scheme."

In answer to a question Mr. Eden agreed that the withdrawal of Germans and Italians from naval control left questions to be considered, but he insisted an important point, was the assurance given to the British Ambassador that the German Government would confine itself to withdrawal from the naval patrol, following the failure of consultative procedure in the Leipzig case. . / ... He told Mr. Lloyd George that as he understood it, Germany and Italy were withdrawing only from participation in naval control, and the NonIntervention Agreement, itself was unaffected. Mr. Eden had an audience with the King, when he informed His Majesty of the latest developments in the foreign situation. The visit was of a routine character.

ANXIETY IN LONDON. FRENCH PRESS OPINION. (Reed. June 21, S a.m) LONDON. June 23. Germany's diplomatic offensive is regarded with the gravest misgiving in London, especially as it is coupled with such an abrupt snub as the cancellation of Baron von Neurath's visit. Germany can hardly expect the invitation to be renewed.

It is., pointed out that Germany’s attitude contrasts with that Qf Britain and France, which made similar incidents, such as the mining of the Hunter, and the machine-gunning of a French passenger plane, the subject of peaceful representations. Moreover, as “The Times”- points out, a shadow of doubt hangs on the alleged attack on the Leipzig. “The Times” emphasises that Germany herself on June 15, condemned the rumours that' the Leipzig had been attacked as unscrupulous inventions. It adds: When the AngloGerman discussions held out a prospect of deeper stability for Europe Germany has chosen a curious moment to magnify the Spanish incidents. Small .wonder if some suspect she seeks to take-advantage of -the French political confusion. They wonder if Germany is repeating' past errors, succumbing to the temptations of uhcov- ' enanted opportunism, making hostility' to other nations the price of Germa'n 1 friendship. The Berlin press bitterly blames Britain as alone responsible for the crisis, and adds Germany has won the right of independent action. In Paris, thankfulness for British friendship, combined with alarm at German intransigence is the keynote of a French comment. Gustav Pertinax, in “L’Echo de Paris” declares that Germany and Italy use the bogey of Communism to explain flagrant breaches of non-intervention, to instal themselves across the Anglo-French lines of communication in the Mediterranean. France cannot tolerate further menaces to mobilisation. „

Other newspapers consider it is significant that Germany re-appears at the climax of the civil war; as the principal supporter of General Franco.

“LABORATORY RABBITS.” LONDON, June 23. Reuter’s Berlin correspondent says that a German Cabinet meeting has been called for to-day to discuss Spanish problems. , ; The “Voelkischer Beogachter” contains a veiled threat of Germany’s withdrawal from the Non-Interven-tion Committee. It states: “German sailors are too good to be used as laboratory rabbits because English diplomats lack the courage to w face Bolshevism. Since Air Eden fails here, he must admit failure of his nonintervention policy.” BOMBARDMENT FEARED. (Recd. June 24, 2.45 p.m.) VALENCIA, June 23. Thousands- of- citizens, apprehensive of a German bombardment, sought refuge in cellars and bomb-proof shelter's, last night. They emerged this morning, hardly able to believe their good fortune. SPANISH GOVT. PREPARED. (Recd. June 24, 2.45 p.m.) LONDON, June 23. The Italian and German warships will remain in Spanish waters, for the present. The loyalist Government is determined to exercise restraint, but has taken measures to retaliate against attacks on Valencia and other loyalist ports. - NO RECOGNITION OF FRANCO [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIBELESB.] -. RUGBY, - June -23// Mr. Eden told the Commons, during the course of answering a large number of questions about Spain, that he received a communication from Salamanca authorities, containing a reasoned claim for recpghition of belligerency, which was being No immediate change <in the. Government’s attitude in-this matter was contemplated. He was also considering what further steps were to be taken following, the receipt of the answer to the British protest regarding the mining of H-M-S. Hunter. The insurgent note, explained the disaster was caused by'; a mine, moored in territorial waters, but this was at variance with : the. facts as reported by the Hunter. : ■' In another answer, Mr. Eden said that General Franco’s attention had ,been drawn tG the Hague Convention, forbidding the laying of mines off the coasts at the ports of ail/enemy, with the sole object of intercept jpg commercial navigation.

Concerning British cargoes-detained by the insurgents, Mr. Eden. said the British Ambassador was', pressing .the authorities at Salamanca'for annexplanation of their conduct regarding the cargo of Fernando L. de ,Y Barra, which was being unloaded and: sent into the interior. AUSTRIA’S REFUSAL VIENNA, . June 23. The Government has turned down a request from General Franco, backed .by Germany, to- recognise the rebel Government of Spain. Austria’s refusal is interpreted as a gesture of friendship to the Western Powers. MINISTER CAPTURED. LONDON, June 22. The Bayonne correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph’’ says the Basque Minister lor Health (Senor Espinosa) and several others who were flying from Tonlouse ’to Santander, were taken prisoner when a French commercial aeroplane made a forced landing in insurgent territory. A broadcast from .Salamanca states that all the manufacturing districts in Bilbao are in rebel hands, including the shell factory. It adds that General Franco controls two-thirds of Spain and all the colonies, and expects official recognition. ARRESTS IN CATALONIA, LONDON, June 23.. The Barcelona correspondent of the British United’ Press says that 300 suspects, including leading members Gf the Trotskyist Party, and also a former Minister for Justice in the Catalan Government, have been arrested. They are accused of belonging to a vast espionage organisation, which is taking advantage of the plight of Spain to conduct subversive activities. ENGLISHMAN INCLUDED (Recd. June 24, Noon). LONDON. June 23. The Independent Labour Party states that an Englishman, John McNair, the party’s Barcelona representative, Is among those arrested. He will be charged with carrying letters and money for the Spanish Trotskyist Party.

Mr. Brookway, secretary to the Independent Labour Party, says the arrest was presumably a sequel to the repatriation of some wounded and sick members, money for whom was taken from McNair, and restored, af-

ter which the incident had been thought closed. . REFUGEE SHIP. LONDON, June 23. The Bordeaux correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph" says the British cargo steamer .Marianna Moller, with 1700 refugees on board from .Santander, was stopped on the high seas by General Franco’s ship Ciudad de Palma. The British captain sent a wireless message to the battleship Resolution, which ordered the destroyer Boadicea to convoy the Marianna Moller to St. Jean de Luz. ; Both vessels arrived at midnight, but the authorities refused to allow the refugees to land, as it. wqs believed that militiamen were aboard. MINES FOUND BARCELONA, June 23. The naval authorities report'the discovery of two mines at Cave Bajur, 70 miles north-east of Barcelona, which were taken ashore for examination. ITALIAN CLAIMS ROME. June 23. It is officially announced that 43 volunteer Italian airmen have been killed in the Spanish war. It is claimed that Italian aviators in Spain have brought down 218 French. British, Russian, and American planes.