ACTING QUICKLY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 28, 3 February 1938, Page 7

ACTING QUICKLY

BRITISH GOVERNMENT SINKING OF ENDYMION BOMBING OF OPEN TOWNS NYON PACT SIGNATORIES TO MEET (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received Feb. 2, 7.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 2. The Daily Mail says that the ambassadors and naval attaches representing the signatories to the Nyon Pact will meet in London to-day to discuss the sinking of the British vessel Endymion of! the coast of Spain. Only Britain, France and Italy will be represented at the beginning of the discussions, but later other signatories may be called in. The major Powers will also discuss the bombing of open towns in Spain. The British Government is acting quickly in order to avert a recurrence of the piracy. The Daily Telegraph’s Rome correspondent says that naval circles deny knowledge of any Italian destroyer serving under General Franco’s flag, and add regarding the report that an Italian submarine sank the Endymion that Italian submarines are in Italian waters.

DESTROYERS’ SEARCH RAIDING SUBMARINE LONDON, Feb. 1. Four British destroyers are searching for the insurgent submarine which sank the British steamer Endymion, which was torpedoed near Cartagena. The Admiralty stated that H.M.S. Fortune, Firedrake, Fury, and Forester, which were on anti-piracy duty at the time, had been rushed to the scene of the attack. Three Britishers were among the Endymion’s victims, namely, the master, Adolphus Charles Verand and his wife, and the second engineer, who is unnamed, and also a Swedish observer, Charles M. Larsson. According to an official Barcelona communique, the Endymion was attacked 16 miles out of Cartagena. The Endymion sent out an SOS, which Spanish Republican craft answered, effecting four rescues. VERY SERIOUS VIEW IN BRITAIN t British Official Wireless. 1 Received Feb. 2, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 1. The British Government takes a serious view of the sinking of thb Endymion. The attack is regarded as an act of piracy. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Duff Cooper, said in the House of Commons that the Endymion was many miles from the nearest route recommended under the Nyon arrangement and carried no wireless. The Government is increasing the patrol immediately.