AN ARREST REPORTED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 2, 4 January 1939, Page 7

AN ARREST REPORTED

BRITISH PRO-CONSUL CONSULAR BAG MYSTERY NO CHARGE MADE AS YET [By Tc-ccraph—Press Awocialion—Copyright] Received Jan. 3, 10 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 3. According to a Reuter message from Burgos the Natonalist military police are reported to have arrested Mr. Ernest Golding, British pro-Consul at San Sebastian, and also his wife, supposedly as a sequel to an inquiry into the contents of a consular postal bag which was found to contain unauthorised documents. The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says that apparently no charge has been made against Golding, nor is the news of his arrest, as yet, confirmed. A later message says that the Daily Telegraph’s Hendaye correspondent confirms Mr. Golding’s arrest, which occurred while the British ConsulGeneral at San Sebastian, Mr. Harolu Goodman, was at St. Jean de Luz, where the British Embassy has not been notified officially. The news caused surprise, because Golding enjoys the full status of a British representative. On December 20 it was reported that the Spanish National frontiei authorities in Irun had found secret military information in a consular bag dispatched by the British Vice-Consul at San Sebastian to the British Embassy at St. Jean de Luz. The ConsulGeneral, Mr. H. Goodman, was carrying the bag at the time, and, on being told of the suspicions that it contained military information of benefit to the Government forces, opened the bag for inspection. In no quarters, however was it suggested that he was himself in any way implicated in the matter. Apparently the matter had been placed in the bag by some person who had access to the vice-consulate. The incriminating matter contained maps used by General Franco’s general staff. It was stated that the consular bag had been used as a spy channel for several months. A message on December 22 statea that several arrests had been made including British officials but that th-' British arrests could not be confirmed. Later it was reported that two women had been shot on the alleged ground of complicity in the incident. One was the British born wife of the former film magnate Senor Carreras and the other a Spanish woman.