BRITAIN ACCUSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19374, 12 July 1937, Page 13

BRITAIN ACCUSED

INTERVENTION IN SPAIN ITALY MAKES CHARGES NAVAL PATROLS FAIL (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. July 10. 2.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 9. The Italian Ambassador, Count Grandi, speaking at this morning’s meeting of the .non-intervention committee. accused the Valencia Government of sabotaging naval control in order to create international complications.

He denounced naval patrols as useless. The Italians were compelled to look on French smuggling to Catalonia. He alleged that British patrols protected food ships and ammunition ships going to Bilbao in time of siege, and added that “Red” aircraft used French aerodromes.

He said: “The Italian policy can be summarised as ‘hands off Spain, everybody.’ ”

The German Ambassador, Herr von Ribbentrop, denied German territorial ambitions and contended that the granting of belligerent rights would strengthen non-intervention, which Germany continued to desire.

SHOTS ACROSS BOWS BRITISH SHIP STOPPED REBEL CRUISER’S ACTION (Reed. July 10, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 9. The Times Santander correspondent says that the insurgent cruiser Almirante Cervera, when outside territorial waters, fired across the bows of a British steamer, the Gordonia, which was then inside the three-mile limit, causing her to stop. The Gordonia, which had been attempting for three days to enter Bilbao to bring off refugees, consulted a British destroyer. The Almirante Cervera then steamed off.