NAVAL STRENGTH CONCENTRATED

Southland Times, Issue 23796, 19 April 1939, Page 5

NAVAL STRENGTH CONCENTRATED

BRITISH AND FRENCH MOVES WATCH ON DEVELOPMENTS AT TANGIER (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, April 17. Almost the whole British Mediterranean Fleet is in the neighbourhood of Malta, including the aircraft carrier Glorious, six cruisers, 39 destroyers, seven submarines, six torpedo-boats, 10 mine-sweepers, six depot ships, one escort ship, one net-layer, and one mine-layer. The French vessels at Gibraltar now total 13. They comprise two battleships, three cruisers and eight destroyers. The Terrible and the Fantastique are patrolling the straits and the destroyers Boulonnais, Foudroyant and Brestois have arrived.'

The possibility of a move by the dictators against Tangier ’s believed to be the reason for the concentration, says a message from Paris. It is reported that there are big numbers of Italian sailors in Tangier, although there is no warship there.

FRENCH FORCE OF 16 WARSHIPS GIBRALTAR PRECAUTIONS (Received April 19, 12.10 a.m.) GIBRALTAR, April 18. The French vessels at Gibraltar now comprise two battleships, three cruisers and 11 destroyers. FRANCE ASKS PLEDGE OF WITHDRAWAL CONDITIONAL RETURN OF WAR MATERIAL (Received April 19, 12.5 a.m.) PARIS, April 18. In return for a promise that 45,000 Italian and German troops will be withdrawn from Spain within a month France will agree to send back the artillery and arms the Republicans brought into France. VICTORY PARADE AGAIN POSTPONED (Received April 18, 6.30 p.m.) SEVILLE, April 17. General Franco has postponed the victory parade in Madrid to May 15, the city’s patron saint day. In the meantime parades are being held at Seville, Valencia and Burgos.