TALK OF TRUCE IN SPAIN

Southland Times, Issue 22992, 11 September 1936, Page 7

TALK OF TRUCE IN SPAIN

No Fighting In North SAN SEBASTIAN URGED TO SURRENDER REBELS PROMISE NOT TO ATTACK (United Press Assn. —Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 1.25 a.m.) London, September 10. Tire Pamplona (Northern Spain) newspaper Dairio Denavarra confirms the possibility of an armistice for 15 days. General Franco is visiting the Talavera front, where the situation is unchanged. The special correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says that hardly a shot has been fired on either side of the San Sebastian front during the past 30 hours. It is understood that an unofficial armistice has been called. Insurgent aeroplanes in the afternoon dropped leaflets calling on the defenders of San Sebastian, particularly the Basque Nationalists, to do their utmost to prevent the city being set on fire and pillaged, in return for which the insurgents promised to withhold the projected offensive and not to bomb the town.

The terror-stricken populace continues to evacuate San Sebastian as the rebels carry out an encircling movement. The Government forces are reported to have withdrawn from Pasajes, a portion of which is burning. Six rebel aeroplanes bombed San Sebastian.

The Government claims that 100 rebels were killed and 1000 wounded while many were captured at Talavera, southwest of Madrid. The Government forces continue attacking Oviedo on which 50 bombs are being dropped daily. The alcazar at Toledo is being continuously bombed. The Government forces’ persistent siege of Huesca, the key city of northeastern Spain after Saragossa, resulted in them gaining possession of the city after the infliction of heavy losses. The loyalists, continuing their advance in the Talavera region, surrounded 150 Moors and killed 58. The remainder were taken prisoners. The Non-Intervention Committee “ABSTRACT AND PROSAIC MEETING” (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, September 9. The committee which has been formed to deal with the application of the agreement by the Powers on nonintervention in the Spanish civil war deliberated for 90 minutes. Portugal was not represented. The delegations will, at the earliest possible moment, furnish particulars to their Governments of measures to give effect to the agreement, after which the committee will reassemble. The diplomatic correspondent of The Times describes the discussions at the meeting as abstract and prosaic. Some of the representatives did not bring copies of their Government decrees and regulations, which it was clear from the outset must form the basis of the committee’s labours. A joint meeting of the three British Labour executives at Plymouth decided to recommend that the attitude of British Labour should be non-interven-tion in Spain. A British Official Wireless message states that the Ambassadors for Belgium, France, Italy, Poland and the Ministers for Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden were present at the meeting of the committee, together with the High Commissioner for the Irish Free State. Czechoslovakia, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Yugoslavia and eight other countries were represented by their charges d’affaires. The British representative was Mr W. S. Morrison, Financial Secretary to the Treasury; the Under-Sec-retary for Foreign Affairs (Viscount Cranbourne) was also present. On the proposal of the French Ambassador, Mr Morrison was elected chairman.

After a general discussion on the scope of the work of the committee it was proposed that the several delegations should as soon as passible furnish the committee with particulars of legislative and other steps taken by their respective governments to. give effect to the agreement on non-inter-vention. It was agreed that this proposal should be referred to the governments represented on the committee, for their consideration. The committee also took note of the fact that the text of the Notes exchanged between the French Government and the other governments constituting the agreement should be published by the French Government when the assent of the other governments had been obtained. The committee expressed a wish to meet again as soon as possible. A second meeting vzill accordingly be. summoned by the chairman as soon as, in his judgment, sufficient material has been received for the purpose. It is understood that during the meeting the absence of a. representative from Portugal was mentioned with regret and the hope was expressed by more than one speaker that the Portuguese Government would be represented at the next meeting. AEROPLANES DETAINED ON SUSPICION BRITISH MINISTRY’S ORDER. (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, September 9. Five aeroplanes have been grounded at the Croydon aerodrome by order of the Board of Trade on account cf a suspicion that if permitted to leave they might be delivered to one oi' other ,of the contending parties in the Spanish civil war, in contravention of the British Government’s embargo.