POWERS WATCH SPAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 58, 10 March 1937, Page 7

POWERS WATCH SPAIN

NON-INTERVENTION GUARD THE OBSERVATION SCHEME TO BECOME OPERATIVE AT ONCE WATCHERS ON LAND AND SEA. [ British Official Wireless. ] Received March 9, 8.45 p.m. RUGBY, March 9. The International Non-Inter-vention Committee has approved of a scheme of observation of Spanish frontiers by land and sea to ensure applicaion of the Non-Intervention Agreement. The Interntional Board will administer the scheme and will have the power to decide all administration questions, but must submit questions of principle to the International Committee. On the Franco-Spanish and Gibraltar-Spanish frontiers an international staff of observers will be stationed at railway and road crossings, while part of the staff will be equipped on a mobile basis. Observers, who will work in close collaboration with local authorities, will be organised under administrators in zones.

Ships flying the flags of the participating countries will be controlled under a system which the operating naval Powers have undertaken to put in force on March 13. When proceeding to Spain or Spanish possessions, ships will be required to embark observing officers, who will satisfy themselves that neither war material nor volunteers are unloaded. The control will be reinforced by a system of naval observation to be undertaken in respective zones allocated to them by the navies of Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy. It is provided that the principal officials shall be appointed forthwith, and shall take up their duties at once. It was agreed to add to the representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Russia three other representatives to form a board to whom would be entrusted the responsibilities of carrying out the scheme of observation. UNKNOWN SHIP FIRED ON URGENT SOS CALL LONDON, March 8. The Admiralty states that an unknown steamer reports being fired on by an unknown warship in the Bay of Biscay. Four British destroyers are speeding thither. At Cork a wireless operator picked up three SOS signals, the latest message stating: “Fire on board. Sinking. Come quickly.” PLIGHT OF MADRID SERIOUS FOOD SHORTAGE DESERTERS’ PITIFUL STORIES . SALAMANCA, March 8. Deserters are coming from the Government side in increasing numbers from all parts of the Madrid front. All tell a story of food shortage, the militia often being 48 hours without food. Except for rice and black bread and an occasional sardine, they received until recently a daily ration of horse flesh and thin vegetable soup, but this fare was now a rarity. The civilians’ greatest deprivation is milk, for want of whlcn many children are dying. The Natianalists have accumulated 20,000 tons of food behind the lines, ready to relieve the suffering population when the city is entered. FRANCO OPTIMISTIC “NOTHING CAN STOP US,” HE SAYS NEW EPOCH FOR SPAIN SALAMANCA, March 8. “Nothing can stop us, neither Moscow’s terrorism nor fires and massacres,” says General Franco in a proclamation broadcast to the Government zones. “The Moscow gang can destroy our churches, but they cannot stop the destined march of a free Spain. You still have time to repent. Have ralth in our clemency. Those who remain in arms against us will be repulsed without mercy. Foreigners taken prisoners with arms will be shot.” The proclamation concludes —Spaniards in the red zone: The troops of free Spain will soon be near you and a new epoch will open. Long Live General Franco.”