LOYALISTS’ CALL TO SPANIARDS

Southland Times, Issue 23742, 14 February 1939, Page 7

LOYALISTS’ CALL TO SPANIARDS

Efforts To Find “A

Way Out”

CITIES ATTACKED BY BOMBERS

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 13, 7.55 p.m.) LONDON, February 13.

The Madrid correspondent of the British United Press says that a declaration after a meeting of the Republican Cabinet extends the Government’s greetings to the air, land and sea forces and the civil population in the loyalist zone. The declaration adds: “An immense task awaits the Government, which is sparing no effort to cope with a situation requiring the fervent co-operation of the entire heroic national front. The die is cast. It is ours alone to find a way out of a diffi-

cult plight by determination and common resolution.” General Jose Miaja, the loyalist com-mander-in-chief, has been promoted to lieutenant-general. General Franco has issued a decree creating special courts to punish “those who fomented Red subversion in the past two years and hindered the providential triumph of the national movement.”

The Republican Prime Minister (Dr Juan Negrin) and other Government officials hate arrived at Madrid from Valencia. The insurgents bombarded Madrid for half an hour this morning. The British United Press correspondent says the rebels bombarded the south-eastern parts of the capital, and that 16 persons were killed and 23 wounded. In five air raids on Valencia 29 persons were killed and 29 were wounded. The British steamer Lucky was partly sunk, and bombs damaged the Stanforth. A' bombing raid killed 100 persons at Jativa. The rebels report hitting a loyalist destroyer during the bombing of Cartagena, shooting down a loyalist chaser aeroplane and bombing Valencia and Chilion. , , . ~ L An air raid on Alcoy resulted in eight persons being killed and 25 wounded. The port of Barcelona has been reopened to general traffic. Twenty thousand loyalist militia who chose to return to rebel Spain from France, were repatriated from Toulouse. Two thousand troops who were believed to have been encircled near Andorra have escaped to France.

ITALY TO “DEFEND” REBEL VICTORY

RECOGNITION OF FRANCO BY EIRE AND HOLLAND

(Received February 13, 7.40 p.m.) LONDON, February 12. In an article in the Italian newspaper Voce d’ltalia Dr Virginio Gayda (“the mouthpiece of Mussolini”) declares that Italy intends to assist General Franco only where it is necessary to defend his political victory. The article does not presume to suggest that Spain will mould her new regime on fascism. In a later passage, however, Dr Gayda accuses Britain and France of attempting to detach Spain from her solidarity with Italian and German influence by encircling her with British and French influence. * The mission of French Generals has completed its investigation, and its report says that the rumours of fortifications on the Spanish side of the French frontier are without foundation. It is officially stated that Eire recognizes General Franco’s Government as the legitimate one in Spain. Mr H. L. Kerney, Irish Minister in Spain, is going to Burgos, the rebel headquarters. The Dutch Foreign Office has informed the Spanish Republican Minister in Switzerland that Holland has agreed to recognize General Franco s Government in principle. The Argentine Government is reported to have severed relations with the Republican Government, which it henceforth will consider non-existent FATE OF PRICELESS ART TREASURES REPORTED LOYALIST PLOT FOR SALE (Received February 13, 8.20 p.m.) LONDON, February 13. The right-wing Paris newspaper Le Jour claims that two letters found in Barcelona prove that the Republicans, with the help of English friends, proposed to sell priceless art treasures to raise funds, and it adds that only the rebels’ “timely occupation” stopped the plot. 1 1 The Barcelona correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says the rebels discovered enormous quantities of treasure at Figueras Castle, where the loyalists had stored it. They had filled rooms and galleries four feet deep with pearl necklaces, antique jewellery, gold coins, pictures, modern stocks and bonds worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, silver spoons, forks, tureens, bowls and candelabra. The police at Perpignan arrested Major Pedro Sola Ruiz, a member of the Republican Army, on a charge of irregular entry into France and the fraudulent introduction of jewellery. It is alleged a valise in his possession contained diamond-studded ear-rings, platinum brooches, gold watches, rings, bracelets and 1,000,000 pesetas in bank notes. Major Ruiz declared that he found the jewellery and bank notes in a secret hiding place when the Figueras citadel was blown up. GERMAN CLOTHES FOR REBELS BURGOS, February 13. Germany is shipping to General Franco flour, wheat and shgar worth £50,000, and 5000 men’s suits.