FROM FIRST DAY TO VICTORY

Southland Times, Issue 23839, 9 June 1939, Page 7

FROM FIRST DAY TO VICTORY

ITALIANS’ PART IN SPANISH WAR TOTAL OF 100,000 MEN DESPATCHED FRANCO’S BROTHER-IN-LAW VISITS ROME (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 8, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, June* 8. Italy’s part in the Spanish civil war, “from the first day until the final victory,” was emphasized by Signor Mussolini at a State banquet given in Rome in honour of the Spanish Minister of the Interior (Senor Suner), who is General Franco’s brother-in-law. “Fascist Italy felt from the beginning of your insurrection that it constituted a decisive trial not only for Spain’s future, but for the future of European civilization,” said Signor Mussolini. “We therefore did not hesitate to give you openly all our assistance from the first day until the final victory. Neither we nor our valiant comrades in arms, the Germans, ever doubted General Franco’s full triumph.” The Rome newspaper Armed Forces reveals that between the middle of December 1936 and the middle of April 1937, which was the period of Italy’s most intensive intervention, 52 troop ships, convoyed by 30 warships, made 132 voyages to Spain, carrying 100,000 soldiers, 40,000 tons of war material and 750 cannon. An Italian naval mission arrived at Cadiz in September 1936 to co-ordinate the operations of the Italian and Spanish fleets, and remained throughout the war. Signor Mussolini and his Foreign Minister (Count Galeazzo Ciano) held a long conference with Senor Suner about future Italian relations with Spain. , A British Official Wireless message says that in a long answer in the House of Commons about military material left in Spain by the Italians, the Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) said that taking all the circumstances into account Britain did not propose to make representations to Italy unless the situation should be materially altered by any new developments. Mr Chamberlain said that during the negotiations preceding the signature of the Anglo-Italian agreement mention was made of the possibility of material being sold or given away after the end of the civil war. It was not against such an eventuality that Britain especially desired to guard. On the other hand, said the Prime Minister, the information available showed that the main objective of the agreement had been achieved with the withdrawal of the Italian troops and war material still in Italian hands—that objective was to ensure against the possibility that at the end of the war the Spanish Government might be induced to afford bases where quantities of war material might be under Italian military contro’ HITLER’S REVELATIONS

The Daily Telegraph, commenting on Herr Hitler’s address to the German legionaries returned from Spain, asks what was his motive for his previous silence about their participation. “Was it that he could not feel quite sure of his country’s approval of a remote and hazardous adventure until he was able to boast of an accomplished victory? Or was it that silence was a useful diplomatic counter in the argument about who was doing most of the intervention?

“Whatever part the first motive may or may not have played, the operation of the second seems beyond doubt. From the start to the finish of the war the controlled Nazi Press was perpetually fulminating against the wickedness of other peoples’ intervention, real or imaginary, while sedulously concealing the German share. Even Britain, the European Great Power which indisputably maintained strict neutrality, was not excluded from these charges. On the contrary, every scrap of information which could plausibly be represented as inculpating her was displayed beneath bold headlines. “The exultant disclosures now made about the real part Germany played in the Spanish conflict from July 1936 onwards are not likely to improve Herr Hitler’s reputation for candour."