CONCERN IN FRANCE.

Wairarapa Age, 7 August 1936, Page 5

CONCERN IN FRANCE.

OVER GERMAN NA VAI. VISIT TO MOROCCO. AGADIR EPISODE RECALLED. PARIS, August 5. Recalling the visit of the German cruiser Panther to Agadir which almost precipitated a European war in 1911, newspapers are discussing with perturbation the German warships’ activities In Moroccan waters. The “Echo de Paris” says that much comment has been aroused in European capitals by the German officer* s visit to the rebel leader, General Franco, which some circles regard as reminiscent of the Kaiser’s landing at Tangier in 1905. The fact of Germany sending the strongest unit of her fleet to Moroccan waters indicates that Berlin wishes Germany to be one of the Powers settling any new problems arising in Spanish Morocco. “Le Jour'’ says that the Spanish Government is negotiating for the purchase of about £120,000 worth of military aeroplanes, part of which must be paid before the aeroplanes leave.

’PLANES FOR REBELS. ITALIAN- AB FOBCE MACHINES. ACCORDING TO FRENCH INVESTIGATORS. (Received Thursday, 5.5 p.m.) ORAN, August 5. General Denain and other French investigators have unanimously decided that the two Italian ’planes forced down in French Morocco while flying to the Spanish rebels were Italian Air Force machines. The pilots admitted that they were officers of the Italian Air Force, but did not disclose whether they were on the active or reserve list. They started from Bologna and landed in Sardinia, where they were retarded by high winds. They were forced down by bad weather.

GERMAN ’PLANES ALSO. STATEMENTS BY REFUGEES. (Received Thursday, 7.55 p.m.) LONDON, August 6. A Gibraltar message says that refugees from Ceuta state that nine Italian and three German ’planes, piloted by Italians and Germans, have arrived to participate in the rebels’ offensive.

ATTITUDE OF RUSSIA. NON-INTERFERENCE APPROVED. (Received Thursday, 7.55 p.m.) MOSCOW, August 6. The Soviet has intimated to France that she shares the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of Spain and is ready to participate in the proposed agreement, that she desire Portugal to join in and “that the assistance rendered by certain States to rebels should be immediately discontinued. ”