BRITISH WARSHIPS MOVING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20586, 27 November 1936, Page 9

BRITISH WARSHIPS MOVING

GRAVE CRISIS IN SPAIN

DEFINITE STATEMENT ISSUED

LIVELY DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS British Official Wireless (Received November 26, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, November 25. Sensational interpretations were placed in newspaper messages upon certain routine ship movements at Malta. The facts are that the warship Cyclops, the depot ship of the First Submarine Flotilla, left Malta for Alicante to relieve the Woolwich. This type of vessel, owing to the accommodation available, has proved of particular use for the evacuation of refugees. Within the next two days the Galatea, the flagship of Rear-Admiral Somerville, commanding the destroyer flotillas, will eave Malta to relieve the Arethusa and the First Destroyer Flotilla, now off the coast of Spain.

DELICATE SITUATIONS DID FOREIGNER FIRE TORPEDO British Official Wlrelest(Received November 26, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, November 25. Speaking in the House of Commons, the First Lord of toe Admiralty (Sir Samuel Hoare) stated that reports received from H.M.S. Glowworm indicated that the Spanish Government warship Miguel de Cervantes was damaged at the entrance to Cartagena Harbour on November 22, and that the damage was consistent with a tropedo attack. Mr P. J. Noel Baker (Labour) referred to reports that the Spanish Government had obtained pieces of the torpedo whlcn had caused the damage* and he asked i. it was not of vital interest to toe Powers, including Britain, that the facts of the case should be established.

Sir Samuel Hoare replied: “It is of vital interest to the British Government that we should not interfere. I have no information to justify my expressing any opinion about the matter.” WAR MATERIAL FOR SPAIN FOREIGN VESSELS STOPPED BY REBELS British Official Wireless (Received November 26, 6.30 p.n_.) RUGBY, November 25. Several questions regarding the situation in Spain were answered by the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) in the House of Commons. He stated that the proposed ban on the conveyance of war material to Spain by British vessels would not apply to commodities such as foodstuffs and coal.

Referring to the report of the arrest by Spanish rebel warships of the Norwegian vessel Lisken, Mr Eden said he understood that the master of the ship had informed the naval authorities at Gibraltar that on November 15 he was stopped and interrogated by two Spanish armed trawlers, about ten mil: off Cape Finisterre, and ordered to proceed in company with one of them to Vigo. The master refused on the grounds that he was outside territorial waters. An armed guard was placed on board the Norwegian ship and she was taken to Vigo, where her cargo of seed potatoes consigned to the Agricultural Department of the Spanish Government was confiscated.