FASCISTS MAY WITHDRAW

Southland Times, Issue 23178, 20 April 1937, Page 7

FASCISTS MAY WITHDRAW

CHANGED POLICY IN SPAIN

ITALY AND GERMANY DISTURBED BELIEF IN FAILURE OF REBELS REPORTED (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright) (Received April 19, 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, April 19. A report that Italy and Germany favour the withdrawal of their volunteers from Spain is by no means discountenanced in London. The diplomatic correspondent of The Daily Herald declares that Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini have made up their minds that a decisive victory for General Franco, the rebel leader, is out of the question, and therefore their joint policy in future will be:— (1) Trying to obtain the best possible peace terms for the rebels and a “composite” regime for postwar Spain. (2) Finding a means of withdrawing the Italians and Germans without losing face.

German experts have convinced Italy that neither side is. capable of winning the war outright, says the correspondent. Italy and Germany are disturbed by the effect of the campaign on their troops’ morale.

The diplomatic correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says that responsible quarters in London fear that the time for mediation has not yet arrived, believing that the hatreds roused on both sides in Spain are too deep to permit a compromise. However, he says, the reports of the Italian and German attitude are perfectly credible. German intervention has been less vigorous recently, and the relations between the Italian commanders and General Franco’s staff are by no means cordial.

The Rome correspondent of The Daily Telegraph earlier reported that it was reliably stated that Signor Mussolini and Herr Hitler had agreed to a proposal to recall the Italians and Germans from Spain providing that the other volunteers were withdrawn. The recall would be popular in Italy, as the war has dragged on beyond the most pessimistic expectation. The German Minister for Air (General Hermann Goering) will discuss the details when he visits Rome at the week-end. The Dean of Canterbury (Dr Hewlett Johnson) ip the course of a sermon said: “Maybe greater mechanized forces are supplied by Germany and Italy on the rebels’ side in Spain, but on the Government side there are forces of the spirit which will win in the long run. It is totally wrong to say that Spaniards and Russians are irreligious. It is not a matter of what men say; it is what they mean in their hearts.” “Potato” Jones’s Activities The owners of “Potato” Jones’s ship, the Mary Llewellyn, have ordered him to discharge his potatoes at Alicante and to load with return cargo for Cardiff. The Thorpe Hall, from Bilbao, docked at Puerto Musel, east of Gijon, to within three miles of which she was escorted by British destroyers. The Espana stopped the Finnish vessel Aranda, bound for Santander, and turned her back into French waters. The loyalist merchantman Mar Carbo grounded off Cape Matifu, Algeria, after being bombed by a rebel plane. It is officially announced that the aerial bombardment of Madrid on Saturday killed 71 persons. There are 12 questions on the House of Commons order paper for Monday about the position at Bilbao and the reported sailings of British merchant ships in disregard of the Government’s caution to them. The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) will be asked to say in what form the instructions were sent to British warships to accompany to the limits of territorial waters any merchant ship proceeding to Bilbao contrary to the desire of the Government.

The Chamber of Shipping has advised ship owners to incorporate in any charters or bills of lading about trade with Spanish ports clauses which provide that the master of a ship shall not be bound to sign bills of lading for any blockaded port or any port which he or his owners in their discretion may consider it dangerous or impossible to reach.

FRANCO APPEALS TO COUNTRY VAGUE OUTLINE OF PLANS FOB FUTURE (Received April 20, 1.20 a.m.) SALOMANCA, April 19. General Franco, broadcasting after repeating his claim to have conquered more than half Spain and to ruling the Spanish seas, appealed for union against foreign interference as well as for internal freedom. General Franco described the democracies as being full of conventionalism, and vaguely outlined his intended postwar regime as the participation of all in control of the State through municipal, syndical and family functions.