RETREATING ITALIANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 7

RETREATING ITALIANS

The Guadalajara Front

FRANCO’S ANXIETY Hurrying To Take Over Command COASTAL PATROL PLAN (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright; Received March 23, 11.5 p.m LONDON, March 23. General Franco is reported to be hurrying to Siguenza to take over direct command of the Guadalajara front in place of the Italian commander. General Bergonzoll, whose troops, according to the Government, are still retreating.

A Valencia message states that the Spanish Government are notifying the Non-Intervention Committee, through Britain, that they cannot agree to the Spanish coasts being controlled by nations openly intervening in favour of the insurgents, or that vessels flying the Spanish flag should be visited by anyone. DELLANO’S ADMISSION LOYALIST COMMUNIQUE OVIEDO EVACUATED GIBRALTAR, March 22. General Dellano, broadcasting, admits a slight retreat on the Guadlajara front. A loyalist communique from Balbao announces that the loyalists are holding their own on all fronts, though bad weather retards the advance to Siguenza. Santander messages announce the complete evacuation of Oviedo anti the arrival of the refugees at Grado. ITALIAN TROOPS QUESTION IN COMMONS FOREIGN SECRETARY REPLIES [ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, March 22. In the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary, Mr R. A. Eden, was asked whether the landing of Italian troops with arms and ammunition in Spain for the purpose of making war on the constitutional Government of that country, before February 20, did not constitute a violition of the nonintervention agreement of the BriandKellogg Pact, and the Covenant of the League. He replied that if by Italian troops units of the Italian army were meant, he had no evidence which established the landing of such units in Spain. In any event the question of violition of the non-intervention agreement was one for consideration by the NonIntervention Committee itself. He did not feel called upon to express opinion with regard to the remaining parts of the questions. Mr Eden and Lord Plymouth met a deputation from the Trades Union Congress, who conveyed to the Ministers the resolution passed at the recent international conference in London. They expressed the grave anxiety in the Labour movement at the delay in the operation of effective control in connection with the nonintervention agreement. The present arrangements, in their view, were operating greatly to the detriment of the Spanish Government, as was evidenced by the reports of the continued landing of Italian and German troops in Spain. The deputation urged that decisive steps should be taken to establish an effective system of control and to secure the early withdrawal of foreign troops from Spain. Mr Eden said that in his view the essential thing was to bring into effective operation the supervision scheme at the earliest possible moment. The Government would do everything in their power to expedite the solution of other pressing problems in connection with the situation in Spain, including the withdrawal of foreign nationals taking part in the conflict.