America Refuses To Supply Arms To Franco

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1943, Page 3

America Refuses To Supply Arms To Franco

NEW YORK. August 24 The United States has refused Franco’s request for sale of arms and ammunition to Spain. The London correspondent of the “New York Times” learns from a trustworthy source that the refusal followed Sir Samuel Hoare's visit to Franco in which he demanded that Spain abandon non-belligerency in favour of neutrality. Washington's decision was reached without consultations with Britain, although the British were immediately informed of it. “The Times’’ points out that the rejection is one of the first positive acts in United States policy towards Spain and may have greater influence in swinging Spain to Allied alignment than Sir Samuel Hoare’s talks with Franco.

westwards along the road and railway leading lo Merefa, 10 miles from Kharkov. The Germans from Merefa are moving men to the Dnieper along the railways leading to Zaporozhe and Dnepropetrovsk, and some also towards Poltava—the railway to which is under Russian control —along a network of secondary roads. The centre of heavy fighting on the southern front has now shifted from Kharkov to the approaches of Poltava. The Russians have engaged big forces of enemy tanks and infantry south of Oposhina. A second Russian thrust is bearing down towards Poltava along the railway from Kharkov, and was last reported at Vodyanya. 42 miles north of Poltava. The strategic importance of Poltava cannot be over-estimated, as it defends the approaches to the Dnieper itself. A quick Russian advance here might, split the entire German. front in the Ukraine. Reuter says that Russian pressure against Bryansk continues, though the advance on some sectors has been slowed down by weather and difficult forest country. The Russian successes mean more than actual tactical gains on each front. The successes mean that the 1000-mile German front, undented for 18 months, is now irretrievably shattered. Great gaps have been torn in the Veliki Luki, Viazma, Orel. Byelgorod. Kharkov and Donetz areas. Frcm Three Directions A sunplementary Russian communique states that Soviet divisions broke into Kharkov from west, north and east. Fierce street fighting occurred before the city was finally occupied. A large amount of booty was' captured. Russian troops south of Isyum occupied positions of great importance. The enemy, attempting to restore the situation, counter-attacked eight times, but all were renelled. The Russians captured DonetskoAmbrozevka, an important railway town 31 miles south-east of Stalino.