Shipping War in Spanish Waters

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 7

Shipping War in Spanish Waters

GERMAN REPRISALS FIVE VESSELS CONCERNED United Preu Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, Jan. 3. The position in regard to the shipping war in Spanish waters is as follows: — The ships concerned are the German steamer Palos, the Spanish steamers Soton and Aragon, and the British steamers Etrib aud Blackhill. The war began on Christmas Eve with the seizure of the Palos by the Basque Government at Biiboa, after which the German cruiser Koenigsberg, as a reprisal, stopped the Spanish steamer Soton, which grounded, but was refloated, and was escorted yesterday into Santona harbour by two submariner, two torpedo boats, and the entire auxiliary fleet of the Basque Government, as well as aeroplanes. The crew of the Soton, contrary to earlier reports, were not taken prisoner by the Koenigsberg. The Spanish Ambassador in London states that both the Koenigsberg and the Koin have arrived at Santona. The British United Press agency says that the Koenigsberg was outside the harbour when the Soton was taken in. The German reprisal No. 2 is the seizure by the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee of the Aragon, which left Almera on January 1 with a cargo of foodstuffs for Malaga. A Valencia communique says that the Aragon was about four miles south of Faro de Sabinal when the Admiral Graf Spee captured her. The communique adds that the Aragon undoubtedly has been arrested by the warship and is being conducted to some rebel port. Two British Ships. A report from Gibraltar states that a loyalist armed trawler iired on and stopped the British steamer Etrib from Haifa, bound for Liverpool with oranges, off Europa Point. The vessel was allowed to proceed after tho captain had been questioned. The British ship Blackhill (2492 tons), from Bayonne, on arrival at Santander last night, reported that though she was flying the Union Jack four armed insurgent trawlers pursued her for seven miles and fired 16 shots. The Blackhill did not stop, and the • trawlers, realising that they were in Basque territorial waters, withdrew. This is the account from the Basque

Government. The British United Press representative at Santander states that the Blackhill reported that besides the attack by the trawlers the Koenigsberg stopped and searched her, but there is no confirmation of this report. The Gibraltar correspondent of The Times states that a rebel trawler stopped and escorted into Ceuta a large, westward-bound tanker which is believed to be Russian. It is reported from Valencia that the Socialist Youth Federation has headed w ith a donation of £1667 a subscription list to replace the Komsomol, the Russian steamer which is believed to have been sunk by a rebel warship, with a vessel built at Valencia, as a sign of gratitude to Russia.

Reprisals Against “ Act of Piracy " ORFICIAL GERMAN VERSION BERLIN, Jan. 3. An official spokesman indicated that reprisals would continue until the cargo and passenger on the Palos have been released. The official news agency states:— The Red authorities in Biiboa having refused to surrender to the Koenigsberg part of the Palos' cargo and the Spanish passenger, the German Government is compelled to emphasise its demands by reprisals in pursuance and defence of German sovereign rights against an act of piracy by Red Spanish forces. It has been unquestionably established that the Palos was seized outside Spanish territorial waters, 23 miles north-east of Cape Machichaco. The captain of the Palos therefore refused to sign a protocol saying that the Palos was seized five miles off the coast. Even this alleged point of seizure was outside the three-mile zone and therefore in extraterritorial waters. Nobody can expect that relations between the Spanish Reds and Germany can be allowed to develop one-sidedly so that German ships on the high seas cai. be regarded as fair game for the Red rulers, the agency continues. If the Spanish Reds wish to introduce such methods they must expect that these measures will be answered. German Warships CAPTAINS TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY. LONDON, January 3. The “Sunday Times’ ” Berlin correspondent says full discretion has been S' nted captains of German warships in Spanish waters to act independently when they think fit. Soviet Steamer Stopped by Insurgents Received Monday, 9.50 p.m. MOSCOW, Jan. 3. It is reported that an insurgent warship stopped the Soviot steamer Krasny Proiintcrn near Gibraltar on New Year’s Day. The vessel, which was Irulen with coal from Hamburg to Naples, was escorted to Ceuta and released an hour later.