BASQUE COUNTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 23 June 1937, Page 5

BASQUE COUNTRY

STILL UNCONQUERED MANIFESTO BY SPANISH GOVERNMENT CONFIDENT OF ULTIMATE VICTORY lUnited Press Assocint.ioo-By Electrl. Tolegra ph Copy right 1 VALENCIA, 22nd June. After a conference the Azana Government issued a long manifesto to the Spanish people to the effect that although Bilbao was evacuated the Basque country was unconquered. It says the world will shudder when it knows the whole story. One hundred and fifty thousand people preferred to abandon the city to living under the tyranny of the invaders. The Government remains confident of ultimate victory. CAPTURE OF BILBAO ALLEGATION OF BOMBING DENIAL BY INSURGENTS SALAMANCA, 22nd June. The insui-gents deny that Bilbao was bombed or machine-gunned from the air. They say that no insurgent plane flew over before the capture of the city. REBEL ADVANCE CONTINUES HENDAYE, 21st June. Rebels occupied Portugalete, also the suburbs of Sesta Santurgo. SOVIET AVIATORS FOREIGN MINISTER’S CONGRATULATIONS REFERENCE TO SPANISH CRISIS WASHINGTON, 21st June. M. Litvinoff, Russian Foreign Minister, in a telegram cf congratulation to the Soviet aviators, apparently referred to the Spanish crisis, citing the flight from Moscow to the United States as proof of the peaceable nature of Soviet Russia “at a time when aviation is being used by certain peoples to destroy cities and villages and kill men, women and children in order to impose a regime of idealogy foreign to them.” BLOWN UP BY EXPLOSION INSURGENTS IN UNIVERSITY CITY LONDON, 21st June. A Madrid message says that loyalists exploded three mines under the clinical hospital in University City, in which a long isolated detachment of rebels maintained a stubborn defence. The explosion cau. 1 havoc, the Government claiming that between 400 and 750 rebels were annihilated. SCENES IN SANTANDER MANY ON VERGE OF STARVATION (Received 23rd June, 12.30 p.m.) ST. JEAN DE LUZ, 22nd June. A quarter of a million crowding Santander are on the verge of starvation according to British refugees who arrived here. People are sleeping on the floors and in the doorways and subsist on spoonfuls of soup and a small ration of beans, though milk is plentiful. The hospitals lack doctors and nurses, and scores of wounded soldiers with which the institutions are crowded are dying daily. Civilians line the quays clamouring for passages on outgoing steamers. SURRENDER OF BASQUE MILITIA COMPLETE (Received 23rd June, 12.30 p.m.) HENDAYE, 22nd June. The surrender of the Basque militia at Bilbao is complete, three battalions handing over their arms. All the police and civil guards, except four hundred who were sent to Santander, have joined the rebels. EVACUATION OF BASQUE REFUGEES SYSTEM OF JOINT CONTROL CONSIDERED AT FRENCH PORTS OF ARRIVAL [British Official Wireless] (Received 23rd June, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 22nd June. The Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, answering a question in the House of Commons on the evacuation of Basque refugees, explained the difficulties arising from the absence since the end of last week of the conditions on which British naval protection had previously been given, namely the assurance of the Basque Government of its impartiality and the association of the British Consul with the arrangements in order to ensure that the assurance was carried out. His Majesty s Government was considering the possibility of other measures with a view to supervising the character of the evacuation, and was communicating with the French Government with a view to arranging a system of joint control at French ports of arrival. Meanwhile instructions were being sent to the naval authorities on the north coast of Spam to continue the protection of refugee ships, British and others, proceeding to France. Mr Neville Chamberlain also referred to Mr Lloyd George’s suggestion that Basque women and children should be evacuated through France to Barcelona, and stated that the Valencia Government had consulted France and received a favourable reply, and if the refugees themselves wished to go in this way, the British Navy would give them protection. THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE UNSATISFACTORY SPANISH SITUATION PLAN FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGNERS (Received 23rd June, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 22nd June. In a statement in the House of Commons, Mr Anthony Eden, Foreign Minister, said:— “In the view of His Majesty’s Government the principal cause of the present unsatisfactory state of affairs in Spain is the presence of non-Spanish

nationals. The Non-Intervention mittee has before it a report that provides a plan for the withdrawal of these foreigners, but some time must elapse before such plan can be put into effect. The Government, therefore, has offered to place its services at the disposal of the committee in order to facilitate or hasten the early withdrawal of foreign combatants, which it is desired should take place without delay.” NO JOINING IN DEMONSTRATION Mr Eden also referred to the four power discussions on the Leipzig incident and intimated that the British Government had no intention of joining in a naval demonstration off Valencia. Mr C. R. Attlee (Leader of the Labour Opposition), urged that the NonIntervention Agreement had broken down, and suggested the. reference of the Spanish situation to the League of Nations. Mr Eden replied: “It is clear that the agreement is not working as we should wish it to work, but this is an agreement to which every nation in Europe has put its name, and consequently we have gravely to consider the position which confronts us.” SUGGESTION BY MR NASH WORK OF NON-INTERVENTION COMMITTEE TO BE TAKEN OVER BY THE LEAGUE LONDON, 21st June. A proposal that the League of Nations should take over the Non-Intervention Committee’s work was made by Mr Walter Nash at a meeting of the League of Nations Union. “What can we say to this committee when the two powers represented on it are intervening and Spain is not represented. The League should force a withdrawal of foreign troops and put Spain under a League mandate for a year.” OFFICIAL REPORT SUBMARINE ATTACK ON THE LEIPZIG BERLIN, 21st June. The Government’s report on “the Spanish-Bolshevik submarine attack on the Leipzig” on 18 th June states that a diver’s examination of the Leipzig’s hull disclosed scratches and a six-inch dent. The vessel changed course after noticing the torpedo, thereby grazing either the torepdo or the submarine from which it was fired. The presence of a torpedo was also ascertained by air bubbles and a ground detector. Stokers and engineers heard a metallic impact on the hull when the Leipzig passed over the locality from which the torpedo was apparently launched. Scraping noises followed. INFLAMMATORYDECLARATION ATTITUDE OF GERMANY PEACE BEST SERVED BY STRONG ACTION BERLIN, 22nd June. An inflammatory declaration of Germany’s attitude on the subject of the Leipzig incident was made by Dr. Goebells, Minister of Propaganda, addressing 130,000 Nazis at the Olympic Stadium. “Germany will not be satisfied at the incident being referred from one committee to another in the manner of the League of Nations and a letter being sent to Valencia after three months in such terms as, ‘You naughty, naughty Bolsheviks. You know such things are not done.’ “Germany does not want war but peace, which is best served by strong action. We found in our domestic policy that there are people with whom we can only reason after knocking out their teeth.” (Received 23rd June, 10.20 a.m.) BERLIN, 22nd June. It is officially stated that two loyalist submarines were near the Leipzig on 18th June. HITLER CONFERS WITH WAR CHIEFS HINT OF STRONG MEASURES * (Received 23rd June, 9.15 a.m.) BERLIN, 22nd June. Herr Hitler conferred with war chiefs, including Marshal von Blomberg and Admiral Raeder and discussed independent measures against the Spanish Government if dissatisfied with the London talks. The Official Spokesman declared that the Germans’ indignation must be taken more seriously. He hinted that Germany may demand the confiscation of the Government merchantmen, the blockade of harbours and a naval demonstration. MR EDEN TO MEET AMBASSADORS (Received 23rd June, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, 22nd June. Mr Eden will meet the French, German and Italian Ambassadors on the Leipzig affair, which it is feared at Whitehall may be used by Germany as an excuse for the final rupture with the Non-Intervention Committee. Herr von Ribbentrop is reported to have delivered a virtual ultimatum. The fall of Bilbao, the French political crisis and the internal difficulties in Russia are believed to have strengthened the hands of the extremists. PATROLLINGWARSHIPS SAFETY GUARANTEED BY REBELS (Received 23rd June, 10.25 a.m.) HENDAYE, 22nd June. The rebel Government informed the British Ambassador, Sir Henry Chilton, that it will completely safeguard warships of the four patrolling powers and will indicate safety zones in ports. MEETING OF FOUR POWERS IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH AGREEMENT OR MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED (Received 23rd June, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, 22nd June. An official message states that a meeting of the four powers having ships on patrol duty in Spanish waters, to consider the Leipzig incident, unfortunately found it impossible to reach agreement on the measures that should be adopted in this "ase. It was considered on one hand that while the proposals should be jointly examined for increasing the security of ships of the four powers on patrol, an inquiry into the circumstances should precede any step directed against the Spanish party involved. On the other hand, the facts were re-

garded as being clearly established and the incidents were considered to require immediate and active steps in order to maintain solidarity and forestall a recurrence of such incidents. The proposal on which agreement could not be reached was that an immediate naval demonstration, showing the flags of the four powers (Britain, France, Germany and Italy), should be held off the coast at Valencia. BRITAIN BECOMING IMPATIENT SOME RECIPROCITY EXPECTED LONDON, 22nd June. Britain is becoming distinctly impatient at the German demands in regard to Spain, declares “The Times” diplomatic correspondent. Britain has gone as far as possible to meet the legitimate demands of Germany and Italy, and expects some reciprocity.