INSURGENTS’ MINEFIELDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 137, 11 June 1937, Page 7

INSURGENTS’ MINEFIELDS

BRITISH LODGE PROTEST THE DEUTSCHLAND AFFAIR ( British Official Wireless. J RUGBY, June t. Sir Henry Chilton, British Ambassador at Hendaye, has been instructed to send a protest to the Salamanca authorities regarding the accident to the British destroyer Hunter, which struck a mine off Almeria on May 13. Full reports of the circumstances indicate that mines had been laid on the high seas by the Spanish insurgent naval authorities off Almeria and elsewhere in that neighbourhood. The British Government reserves the right to present a claim for loss or damage resulting from the accident to the Hunter. Questioned in the House of Commons on the negotiations following ihe Deutschland incident, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Eden, said that exchanges of views between the British, French, German, and Italian Governments were concerned with the guarantees which might be obtained from the two parties to the Spanish conflict to enable the work of the naval patrol which had been delegated to these four Governments to be restored to full operation, thus permitting the committee to resume its work. Asked in a supplementary question to give a definite pledge that in no circumstances would the British Government consent to retaliatory action, Mr Eden replied: “We never subscribed to the right of retaliation.” The French Government's reply to the British proposals regarding guarantees on a basis on which German and Italian ships might resume their patrol work under the non-interven-tion scheme has now been received in London. It is felt that there is now a substantial agreement in principle between all of the Powers concerned.