FULLY MANNED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 116, 17 April 1939, Page 7

FULLY MANNED

FRENCH BATTERIES.

ACTIVITY OF TIIOOPS

FRONTIER PRECAUTIONS

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, April 15.

The Paris correspondent of the British United Press reports that officials at Hendaye declare that the French frontier batteries are fully manned and command all Spanish approaches. Troops are at present manning the mountain defences. Heavy guns and extra ammunition have been installed and anti-aircraft equipment has been reinforced.

The Daily Telegraph’s Bordeaux correspondent says that France is most perturbed by reports that 15,000 to 20,000 fresh Italian troops, which landed at Cadiz, are concentrating at Logrono, 60 miles from the FrancoSpanish frontier. Logrono was the site of the Italian headquarters throughout tho civil war. but tho need of concentrations there lias clearly passed. GERAIAN TECHNICIANS.

It is known that 9000 or 10,000 picked German technicians and artillerymen are still in Spain, distributed over the northern towns. It is considered that they would be more useful to General Franco than tho Italians in tho event of an attack against France. In addition to numerous artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, the Germans possess 50 guns, which are amongst the heaviest in Europe. These were largely responsible for the smashing of the Catalan front.

Largo quantities of war material have been landed at Vigo during the last 10 days. France is also most concerned over the continued presence of hundreds of Italian and German aeroplanes accommodated at a string of German-built, heavily fortified aerodromes on the northern frontier.