NIGHT ATTACK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19098, 20 August 1936, Page 5

NIGHT ATTACK

IRUN BATTLE OPENS ADVANCE BY INSURGENTS GUNBOATS AID TROOPS STREAM OK REFUGEES (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Aug. Pd, 11.30 a.in.) LONDON, Aug. 10. A. Hendayo report says tluit, advancing under the cover of darkness by a defile to a hillock within GOO yards of Irun, a Spanish rebel force launched a tremendous attack on the city. Nine thousand men are engaged in the battle. Gunboats are bombarding, and the detonations are shaking the town of Hendaye. Hundreds of refugees are streaming across the frontier. The situation of the Government forces looks desperate. The rebels captured an artillery battery and Fort Guadaloupe is silent, evidently as a result of yesterday’s shelling from the .sea. The rebel leader, General Franco, has apologised for the bombing of the British destroyer Blanche in mistake for the destroyer Jose Inis Diez off Melilla. The Blanche fortunately escaped damage. LOSS OF 20,000 LIVES HUGE PROPERTY DAMAGE BRITISH PRESS ESTIMATE LONDON, Aug. 18. The Daily Mail estimates that the civil war in Spain has already cost £125,000,000 in damage to trade, commerce and property, It assesses the casualties at 8000 killed in battle, shot after surrender or court martialled; 1.2,000 killed in street lighting, and 14.000 wounded in battle and street fighting. It is also estimated that 8000 civilians are imprisoned and 10,000 held as hostages, these being chiefly wealthy business people, priests and nuns. LOSSES IN COAL TRADE SUPPLIES FROM BRITAIN (Reed. Aug. 20, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 19. The Morning Post says that the British coal trade, which previously was affected by losses on the French and Italian markets, has already lost trade in Spain valued at £IOO,OOO as a result of the civil war. Moreover, payments under the English and Spanish cleaving system have ceased, though British coal exporters are owed £500,000. NAZI SPY SYSTEM DOCUMENTS DISCOVERED TERRORIST ESPIONAGE CONTROL OP NATIONALS LONDON, Aug. 18. The News-Chronicle’s Barcelona correspondent says that from the apartment of Hans Ilellemann, who fled when resentment developed against the Fascists, loyalists acquired 10,000 documents signed by Nazi spies in Spain for their directors in Berlin. These show that the spies had reported upon every German in Spain from ambassador to scullery maid. The Nazis before their departure, had removed certain vital files, but obviously the network of terrorist espionage covered the peninsula, rendering residence there almost impossible for non-Nazis who, if they returned to Germany, incurred the risk of Nazi vengeance there. Prominent figures in the Nazi organisation were Erich Snaus, reorganiser of the party in Spain; Carl Cords, chief of the secret police ; and Alfred Fugling, chief of the Barcelona secret police, all of whom operated the “uschla” secret judicial system. Some fought against its sentences of expulsion whilst others, realising the futility of resistance, fatalistically accepted the decrees. The files disclosed reports on the Morocco and Tangier cable stations, indicating keen interest in these strategically important points.

The News-Chronicle’s summary of the documents covers the period from 1934 under the regime of Alter Zucliristian, then (lie Nazi leader, and occupies four columns. It indicates that the German consular body is entirely under the thumb of local Nazis. It asserts that firms were compelled to dismiss nonNazis and replace them with Nazis. It gives instances of this. WAR SUPPLIES BAN ACTION OP BRITAIN AIRORAFT INCLUDED (Reed. Aug. 20, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 10. The Board of Trade announces that all war exports to Spain are prohibited, including aircraft. All export licenses are revoked. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Samuel Ilonre, in a speech at Cromer, said (lie Government had not the least intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Spain. SACKING OF CHURCHES MOORS ACCUSED GOVERNMENT HAULS MADRID, Aug. 19. The Ministry for War cites instances of Moors sacking the churches and monasteries at Medellin. It also discloses that a search of the