EXTENT OF NAZI AID IN SPAIN

Southland Times, Issue 23838, 8 June 1939, Page 5

EXTENT OF NAZI AID IN SPAIN

AT LEAST 18,000 MEN IN PARADE HITLER ACCUSES BRITAIN OF BLACKMAIL (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 7, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 6. A parade of German legionaries in Berlin at which Herr Hitler and FieldMarshal Hermann Goering took the salute revealed that at least 18,000 Germans took part in the Spanish civil war. Herr Hitler, addressing the legionaries in the Lustgarten, said that the Spanish civil war had threatened to set Europe aflame with a Bolshevist re-, volution.

“I decided to join in the struggle in July 1936 and to assist a country determined to fight for her independence in spite of the blackmailing attempts of Britain and France.” said the Fuhrer. “We stood shoulder to shoulder with Italy, but the Western democracies tried to circumvent this ideological co-operation with lies, declaring that we wanted to conquer Spain. These ideas are natural to Britain, who is accustomed to stealing colonies. You fought in fulfilment of my will. Germany is thankful to you.” Herr Hitler also declared that in answering General Franco’s appeal to himself and to Signor Mussolini for help he had thanked him for Spain’s neutrality in the Great War, in spite of Britain’s efforts to bring her in. The war-mongers should now realize, he said, that every attempt to attack Germany would meet with resistance of which the encirclers “have no conception.” Field-Marshal Goering said that all General Franco’s important victories were obtained with the help of Germans. At Naples the King of Italy reviewed returning Italian volunteers. The city was decorated with Italian and Spanish flags. READINESS AS BEST CHECK TO WAR HITLER’S ACCUSATION “A GREAT INSULT” (Received June 7, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, June 7. Mr A. Duff-Cooper, the former First Lord of the Admiralty, making an appeal for national service at Finchley, said that Britain’s answer to Herr Hitler’s accusation that she was a thief should be the enrolment of 100,000 volunteers within 24 hours. “It would have been unthinkable before the last war that a responsible man —if he is still responsible, which big actions and words seem to make doubtful —should launch so great an insult at the most powerful country in Europe,” said Mr Duff-Cooper. “If England is 100 per cent, prepared for war there will be no war.”