SPANISH WAR

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1937, Page 5

SPANISH WAR

INSURGENT MOVE TO OBTAIN SUBMARINE. / iim (United Press Association—By l?lectno Telegiaph—Copyright). BREST, September 20. A 'Spanish Government submarine the C2. has been repairing her engines in Brest Hn r bour, in France. While a majority of her crew were ashore, she was boarded by twelve men from a rowing boat. The men covered the guard with automatic rifles and their leader demanded to see the Captain of the submarine, Commandant Jose Ferrando. It is alleged that he told Ferrando that he was the Commander of the Spanish Government’s submarine, C 4. The latter submarine is at present being repaired at Verdon, near Bordeaux.

Tlie leader of the men added that lie, with his crew, had ; gone over vo the insurgents, and he offered Ferrando three million pesetas to join them with his ship. Ferrando refused. Thereupon he and his skeleton crew were bound and gagged. The captors, however, fruitlessly endeavoured to start the engines of the submarine, and they had gathered on deck to deliberate upon the position, when a sailor, belonging ’io the C2, who had hidden in the conning tower, sounded the siren, and then emptied a revolver into tlie men. killing one. The others all escaped, in the boat, dragging off with them Ferrando and the Chief Engineer. They disappeared in motor-cars from the Brest quayside. The French police are searching the countryside, and have arrested sixmen, including the Commander of the prisorers, and papers were found in the possession of the man, Juan Los Haras, the Commander of the submarine, CM. The papers included a letter from General Toncoso, the Commandant at Inin, offering him Iwo million pesetas, and guaranteeing him safety, if he joined the Nationalists with tho crew of his submarine.

. Tlie man killed aboard C2, was a Spanish Terrorist, named Gabana, who was wanted by the police in connection with a bomb outrage at Marseilles. Those arrested included Emmanuel' Morendaiu, a Spaniard, who is believed to have placed the bomb on a Spanish Government ship at Bayonne iu March. A GERMAN VIEW BERLIN, September 20. The Berlin “Montag’s Post” says: Anglo-French Entente in the Metlivtertanean, which could hardly have been closer during the world war than it is to-day, creates the impression that Mr A. Eden (British Foreign Secretary), is thus having a petty revenge for his Abyssinian setback. It is always dangerous, however, when the cravings for personal revenge influence national policy. ITALIAN REPLY" HOME, September 20. An official Italian communique says • “A number of English newspapers have deliberately attributed great importance to the sailing of Italian forces to Libya. Their pretended alarm is. groundless, as the sailing is merely the executing of a plan that was arranged a long time ago, and that was made universally known." ON ASTURIAS FRONT LONDON, September 19. Although seven loyalist- battalions are strung out over a wide front in Asturias, they are fighting desperate guerilla actions, dynamiting the roads and ’hridvos, inflicting heavy losses, and holding up the insurgent drive towards Gijon. NYON ARE AN GEM ENT. (Per British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 18. The Italian Government, having received a copy ol the agreement supplementary to the Nyon airangeinent, which was signed yesterday, its terms were published in Geneva to-day. In communicating the text to the Italian Government, the latter was iniovmed that its practical observations on the second agreement as on the first would be given the closest attention by the Nyon Powers. Ihe new agreement * applies to attack by surlace vessels or aircraft upon any merchant ship in the Mediterranean not belonging to parties to the Spanish conflict, when such attack is accompanied by violation of humanitarian ‘ principles, embodied in the rules of international

law, relating to warfare at sea, as laic! down in part four of the Treaty ot < London, 1930, and confirmed in the London Protocol signed in November last.

Any surface war vessel which witnesses such an attack, when engaged in carrying out the Xyon an alignment. is authorised, if the attack is by aircraft, to open fire on such uircrait, or if the attack is committed by a ~,r ! r . ro vessel, to intervene within the limits of its powers, and if necessary, summon assistance in that task. •in territorial waters, each oi the participating Powers concerned will give instructions as to the measures to be taken by its own war vessels, m fche spirit of the present agreement.

It is pointed out that nothing in the agreement prejudices the right m any country to defend its shipping from attack of any kind whether such attack is in conflict with humanitariar principles or merely illegal. ITIALIAN DEAD. AXOTIIER BULLETIN. (Received this day at 2 p.m.) ROME. September '2O. An official bulletin states the Italian casualties in Spain contains 007 names, hut the rank and whereabouts they died are not mentioned. This brings the total casualties in Spain to 1629. The bulletin states the men who fell defending “Mediterranean civilisation,” are buried in eemetries facing the sea, and will be commemorated on October 28 when tablets, with their names inscribed, will be placed in memorial chapels.