IRISH TROOPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22603, 16 December 1936, Page 13

IRISH TROOPS

BOUND FOR SPAIN DRAMATIC DEPARTURE KEINFORCING BOTH SIDES GERMAN TRANSPORT USED By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received December l ■">, 0.10 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14 " The wild geese have flown again," exclaims thV newspaper Irish Press, with an eye to historic tradition, in graphically chronicling the departure for Spain of General O'Duffy's 800 volunteers, who are going to reinforce the rebels under General Franco. Eighty others have lett Belfast, Dublin and Rosslaro to join the Irish division fighting for the Spanish loyalists. The .Republican Frank Ryan loads them, and Liam Walsh commands the O'Duffy men. Although they may not meet during the campaign, there is still a possibility of Irishmen facing Irishmen on Spanish battlefields. The tender Dun Aengus, named after the world's most famous prehistoric fortress, situated on an island oft the Irish coast, took General O'Duffy's men, few of whom are familiar with firearms or fighting, aboard the German liner Urundi, which was flying the swastika flag. The tender cruised in the bay in a fierce gale for seven hours before the Urundi anchored. A small boat meanwhile perilously landed a party with the object of telegraphing for instructions. However, having at last sighted the transport, the tender made fast alongside, in spite of the rough sea, and the volunteers' scrambled up a rope ladder dangling from the bulwarks. The tender hooted thrice as a last salute.

Sixty disgruntled men who complained of tho officers' harsh treatment went back in tho tender. They declared that although they had been without food for 24 hours they were given only salty hot water. The newspaper Irish Independent, however, describes this as soup. , A subscription was taken up for the men after they had landed. Some declared their intention of going to Spain by another route.

NON-INTERVENTION PLAN

REFERENCE BY MR. EDEN BREACHES BY FOREIGN POWERS (Received December 15, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, Dec. 14 The replies which have been received from tho German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian Governments to the British and French proposal for mediation in the Spanish civil war are receiving careful examination in London and Paris. The initiative in mediation was referred to by tho Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, in his Bradford' speech, when ho said tho Spanish tragedy was creating grave international anxieties because nations were not observing in letter and in spirit the non-intervention agreement. Mr. Eden commented on tho sympathetic support given in the statement of the United States Government, which he thought was an admirable example to others more directly concerned, whoso responsibilities in the matter were infinitely heavier. They looked to those nations for collaboration in the work of European appeasement.