MOVE URGED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 15

MOVE URGED

SPANISH_CABINET REBEL BARCELONA MENACED REFUGEES IN FRANCE REPATRIATION STOPPED By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received April 8, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 8 Several members of the Spanish Cabinet arc advocating the transference of the Government to the south of Spain, in view of the approach of General Franco's troops, says a message from Barcelona. General Franco's troops have taken Tremp, where the power station supplying Barcelona with electricity is situated. The French frontier authorities have been ordered not to send back to Barcelona any more of the "Republican militiamen fleeing to Franco before General Franco's advance, says the special correspondent of the Daily Mail at Luchon. They are to he detained in concentration camps, and whether they will eventually be repatriated is not yet decided.

AIR RAID MENACE LESSON OF BARCELONA TERRIBLE HAVOC WROUGHT TESTING PLACE OF NEW BOMBS LONDON, March 31 "If the people of Britain could see the wreckage, shambles and desolation left by the Italian Savoia 79 bombers which are raiding Barcelona, 1,000,000 air raid precautions Volunteers would register in a few hours," says the special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Barcelona. "I hope nobody will pay attention to the optimists who assert that aerial bombardments have a limited effect. I shudder to think what would happen to London or Manchester if a few score of such bombs were dropped. Two or three of the new 5001b. bombs, which were used on St. Patrick's Day, would be enough to wreck a whole neighbourhood.

"Barcelona has been a testing-place for a new menace to civilisation. There are not enough chasers or anti-aircraft-batteries available for the defence of the city because of the 'nonintervention' policy. Even if there were, it is doubtful whether it would be possible to prevent raids by small groups of sv.-ift bombers.

"The attacks come from two bases. The Italian machines come from Pnlma and the German aeroplanes from Polleiisa. Both are 200 miles away as the bomber flies. "War has virtually no limits now. Woo betide those countries weak in the airl Barcelona is a warning that there is stark madness loose in Europe. "The plight of small towns is worse. The Italian and German aeroplanes have literally wrecked Tortosa. Formerly a town' of 32,000 inhabitants, it is now empty. Three or four times daily the raiders bomb the remains. Tarragona had 42 raids in 12 day? "All day long Italian and German aeroplanes bomb and machine-gun the roads and villages. The Spaniards are showing great toughness and bombs are bad propaganda."

ATTITUDE OF BRITONS NOT TO BE TERRORISED LONDON, March 31 "I disagree with those super-alarmists who say all is lost unless we have parity in air power with Germany." So said Brigadier Sir Henry PaceCroft, 31.P., in a speech last night. He gave these as his reasons: — "If Germany, or any other Power, thinks that by smashing up buildings in London they can conquer, let me tell them that they would merely recruit the greatest army that Britain has ever known.

"They would bring mighty forces from all the Seven Seas, and airmen humming across the skies from every land where Britons dwell."