FRANCO’S BLOCKADE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 278, 24 November 1936, Page 7

FRANCO’S BLOCKADE

THE BRITISH INQUIRIES NO REPLY RECEIVED YET 1 British Official Wireless ] RUGBY, Nov. 21. A reply is still awaited from the Burgos authorities to the renewed representations made by the Brit'sh Ambassador to Spain. The newspapers discuss the question whether the insurgents have the power and intention to assume the belligerent rights of instituting a blockade or claiming the right of visit and search of vessels outside territorial waters. Such acts would be illegal if committed by an authority which had not been accorded belligerent rights, and it is taken for granted by the Press that meanwhile interference will not be tolerated. In the past, however, it has been the usual practice that foreign Governments when confronted with a situation such as has now arisen have generally sought to protect the interests of their nationals by’ recognising the belligerency of both sides, which thereupon assume the rights and obligations attaching to belligerents. A meeting of Ministers took place at No. 10 Downing Street at which the following were present: The Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Minister for Co-ordina-tion of Defence. The situation in Spain was considered, and it is hoped that the Foreign Secretary will be in a position to make a statement in the House of Commons to-morrow. FRENCH WARSHIPS DEPARTURE I ROM BARCELONA PIEKPIGNAfN, lnov. 22. The French warships have left Barcelona Harbour and are cruising outside the three-mile limit. URGENT CABINET MEETING Received Nov. 23, 7.25 LONDON, Nov. 22. The Daily Mail says that an urgent Cabinet meeting considered the situation caused by General Franco’s threat to bombard Barcelona and the non-arrival of General Franco’s reply to Mr Eden’s request. The Ministers discussed whether to grant belligerent rights to both participants in the civil war. International law requires that Britain must be satisfied that General Franco is able effectively to blockade Barcelona before granting belligerent rights, but it is felt that in view of the fact that Italian aid may enable him to complete the blockade, the best way of avoiding complications is to grant him belligerent rights. Mean- I while Mr Eden has instructed Mr I Chilton to renew the representations I lo General Franco.

FOREIGN SUBMARINES? GOVERNMENT CRUISERS ATTACKED Received Nov. 23. 9.20 p.m. MADRID, Nov. 23. The Air Ministry announced that submarines, believed to be foreign, attacked the Government’s warships at the entrance to rort i artagena. a corpeuo struck and damaged the cruiser Miguel de Cervantes. Other torpedoes aimed at the cruiser Mendez Nunes missed their objeci live. NO BRITISH REPORT Received Nov. 23. 9.10 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 23. The Admiralty stated that the British destroyer Glowworm stationed at | Cartagena had not reported the al--1 leged submarine incident. A later message states that there is still no confirmation of the Spanish submarine story. The Government alleges that the attack took place at 9 a.m. on Sunday and at least two | submarines were involved, necessarH’v belonging to a foreign fleet as the rebels never had any submarines. Neither the London, Paris or Spanish embassies are able to substantiate the allegation. Refugees landed at Gibraltar from the British destroyer Greyhound, said the battleship Jaime Primero and the cruisers Libertad and Cervantes were [due southward from Malaga to attack rebel warships and later to bombard Algeciras. The report of the submarine attack comes on the heels of unconfirmed rumours that Ramon Franco, brother of General Franco, secretly arranged for 15 Italian submarines to reinforce the insurgent fleet. Berlin announces that there are no German submarines in Spanish waters.