British Ships Sunk

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 7

British Ships Sunk

(Received 3 p.m.) MADRID, July 28. Two were killed and three injured on the British steamer Kellwyn, which was damaged by a bomb dropped from close range at Valencia. Another British steamer, the Stanleigh, was damaged in the same raid, but there wer'e no casualties. Mr R. A. Butler, Foreign Undersecretary, stated in the House of Commons that reports suggested that the sinking of the British steamer Dellwyn was deliberate. If this was confirmed, the Government would immediately request an investigation. Lieut-Colonel Llewellyn, Civil Lord of the Admiralty, admitted that a destroyer watched the sinking. It had not acted, as instructions were not to protect British shipping in territorial waters. Sir Robert Hodgson, British Agent in Franco territory, returns to Burgos tomorrow with instructions, which are expected to enable him to settle with General Franco’s administration final details of the commission which is to examine the question of bombing of British ships, says a British official message. Mr Butler gave an assurance, in an answer to a question in the House of Commons that proposals under discussion with General Franco for a commission to investigate the c.ases of bombing of British ships did not imply any recognition of the legitimacy of indiscriminate air attacks on ports remote from the battlefront, or of attempts to establish a blockade by means of aircraft.