URGING TRUCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23055, 4 June 1938, Page 13

URGING TRUCE

BRITAIN'S EFFORTS L ... '3 SPANISH CONFLICT [READY AID OF FPIANCE FASCIST POWERS ALOOF iFEANCO hopes to win By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received Juno 3, 5.5 p.m.) \ LONDON. June S The British Government is conferring .with its representatives in Spain concerning measures to prevent attacks on British shipping. The Prime Minister, Mr. C'hamber/lain, simultaneously is seeking to arrange for a truce between the insurgents and the Republicans. Franco is ready to help in arranging a truce, but Italy and Germany, believing General Franco's ultimate victory is certain, aro less inclined to assist, while tho Spaniards are even more difficult. General Franco considers ho will soon - be able to make his own terms. The majority of the Republicans want to fight to the last ditch. Rebel 'airmen on tho Teruel front shot down six loyalist bombers, which were blown to atoms by the explosion of their freights as they struck tho ground. General Franco, replying to the British protests against the bombing of the steamers Penthames and Thorpeball, asserts that British shipping was not deliberately selected for attack. He promises an investigation and expresses regret. > Many ambulances and waggons containing food supplies continuo to arrive at Barcelona from countries sympathising with the Spanish Republicans. The latest arrival was a truck labelled "from Italian women who implore the pardon of Spanish children for the brutal Italian bombardments." NON-INTERVENTION SUB-COMMITTEE MEETS EIGHTY-EIGHTH SESSION RUSSIA'S NEW ATTITUDE British Wireless RUGBY, June 2 The sub-committee of the Non-Inter-vention Committee, at its 88th meeting, to-day considered a further revision of the draft resolution providing for the withdrawal of foreign volunteers from Spain, for granting, in certain circumstances, belligerent rights to the two parties to the civil war, and for the observation of Spanish frontiers by land and sea. The committee examined each of the butstanding questions, regarding a number of / whieh agreement was reached. The Soviet representative, M. Kagan, Jnade a lengthy statement. The-chairman, the Earl of Plymouth, 6aid tho situation created by this statement referred to the three questions embodied in the recent British proposals to which the Soviet hitherto had not been able to agree. These were:—■ (1) The method to be adopted by tha Commissioners in counting and classifying foreign, volunteers. (2) The date of the restoration of international observation on the frontier between France and Spain. (3) The strengthening of the sea observation scheme. The Soviet was prepared now to accept the first of these proposals and the second also, provided that if the actual withdrawal of volunteers did not start on tho date prescribed in the plan, there would be no further extension of the period in which international observation should be in force on the frontier between France and Spain. The Soviet's agreement to the above points was, however, conditional iipon acceptance by, the international committee of an arrangement by which international observing officers would be permanently stationed at all Spanish ports, where it was possible to unload Jffar material or land troops. / The meeting agreed to consider the tacw situation created by the Soviet's statement and to meet again on June I°. ' Czechoslovakia has recognised .General Franco's Government. LEAGUE DISCUSSION SPEECH BY MR. JORDAN I REQUEST FOR PUBLICATION / ■ (Received June 4, 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, Juna 3 The Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain, was asked in the House of Commons by Mr. G. L. Mander '(Opposition Liberal) whether he would consider the publication of a White Paper giving the text of Mr. W. J. Jordan's speech during tho League of Nations discussions on Spain, as it embodied an Imperial viewpoint differing from that of the British Government. ( The Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr. R. f.'Butler, repljed that it would appear W due course in the League of Nations •journal, where members could study it. granollers bombed 'appeal to the powers [bv telegraph—PßKSS association] •' WELLINGTON. Friday The New Zealand Spanish Medical „,Aid Committee has received a cablegram from Barcelona, detailing the results of the,bombing of Granollers. it says: "This'was made possible owing a lack of decision on the part of the •British and French Governments to protest against tho massacre perpetrated against the civilian population of Alicante last week. Had an Immediate, energetic protest been made the crime at Granollers might have fieen avoided." Ihe cablegram states that the people Spain appeal to their friends in . ®®ocratic countries to exert all their with their respective Govern(to force them to protest, and adds: "The indecision and complacency of the British Government has been responsible for the loss of another British 'top.-tho Penthames, sunk in Valencia "° ur by Fascist aeroplanes."