SUBMARINE STORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22585, 25 November 1936, Page 13

SUBMARINE STORY

CONFIRMATION LACKING ALLEGED FOREIGN CRAFT ITALO-GERMAN DENIALS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, Nov. 2U There is no confirmation at present of the story of the Spanish Air Ministry of an attack by submarines on Government warships at the entrance to the Port of Cartagena. The Spanish Government alleges that the attack* took place on Sunday at 9 a.m. and that there were at least two submarines which must have belonged to a foreign fleet as the rebels never had any submarines.

Neither the Spanish Embassy in London nor that in Paris is able to substantiate the allegation. A message from Gibraltar says that refugees who have landed there from the British destroyer Greyhound report that the Spanish battleship Jamie I'rimoro and the cruisers Libertad and Cervantes were due southward from Malaga to attack rebel warships and later to bombard Algeciras. It is suggested that the insurgents possess a (submarine which has been completed in a Spanish dockyard since the outbreak of hostilities.

The report of the submarine attack comes on the heels of unconfirmed rumours that Ramon Franco, brother of the rebel leader, secretly arranged for 15 Italian submarines to reinforce the insurgents' fleet. A despatch from Berlin announces that there are no German submarines in Spanish waters. A message from Rome says it is officially denied that the submarines reported to have been used at Cartagena were Italian.

The commander of the British destroyer Giowworm has now reported that tiio explosion on the Cervantes was seen from the ship. The Cervantes took on a list of from eight to 10 degrees and was towed to port seemingly badly holed.

GOLD FOR RUSSIA SPANISH CONSIGNMENTS £100,000,000 FOR MUNITIONS (Received November 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 23 A message from Avila, Spain, states that bankers are of the opinion that the Spanish Government has sent £100,000,000 worth of gold to France, most of which lias been sent on to Russia in payment for munitions.

AMERICAN EMBASSY

ORDER FOR ITS CLOSING (Received November 24, 7.35 p.m.) ■' ■ WASHINGTON. Nov. 23 The Government has ordered the United States Embassy at Madrid to be closed. The staff, and all citizens willing to leave, are to be taken to Valencia.

PLIGHT OF CIVILIANS

PLANS FOR EVACUATION British Wireless RUGBY, Nov. 23 Efforts are being made to evacuate civilians from Madrid. A service of taxis and motor-cars has been organised for this work. It is hoped to ease the food situation, which is beginning to cause suffering among civilians.

SPANISH GOVERNMENT NO SOVIET REGIME PLANNED VALENCIA, Nov. 23 Senor C.iballero, Prime Minister of Spain, denies reports that he intends to establish a Soviet regime, He says his Government's primary objective is the maintenance of a democratic, parliamentary republic in accordance with the constitution.