ARREST CONFIRMED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 7

ARREST CONFIRMED

BRITISH PRO-CONSUL CONSULAR BAG MYSTERY ' CHARGES STILL NOT i DISCLOSED I [ British Official Wirelebt ] ( RUGBY, Jan. 3. | Confirmation has been received by I the British Foreign Office, Loncion, I from the acting-British Agent at Bur-! gos (Mr. C. D. Jerram), of the arrest of Mr. Ernest Golding, British ProConsul at San Sebastian, but the nature of the charges is not known. Mr. Jerram has been instructed to secure legal assistance for Mr. Golding, as pro-Consul enjoys nospecial immunities or privileges. On the assumption, which is generally made in the Press reports from Spain, that his arrest was in connection with the alleged consular bag incident, the news of Mr. Golding’s detention has been received with surprise in London in view of the pending formal inquiry into the incident which, as the Spanish Nationalist authorities should be aware, arrangements are in train. The arrest is regarded as highly improper. It is not yet known officially how Mr. Golding was connected with the dispatch of the diplomatic bag. His duties normally are in the nature of an actuary and he was possibly responsible for fixing the official seals. The British inquiry is still proceeding. Mr. Jerram, who is senior diplomatic representative in the absence of Sir R.obert Hodgson through illness, has been instructed to demand an explanation of the arrest and also access to the prisoner. It is alleged in one quarter that a letter mentioning Mr. Golding contained the phrase: “If other routes are closed try a letter via Golding, writing between the lines in invisible ink.” This letter, it is stated, was written by the husband of the executed woman. He is at present in Barcelona. Mr. Golding, it is added, claimed that the mention of the invisible ink clearly exonerated him from complicity. On December 20 it was reported that the Spanish National frontier 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 Con-sul-General (Mr. H. Goodman) was carrying the bag at the time, and, on being told of the suspicions that it contained information of benefit to bag for inspection. In no quarters, however, was it suggested that he was the Government forces, opened the himself in any way implicated in t’.< matter. Apparently the matter had been placed in the bag by some person who had access to the vice-consu-late. 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 stated that several arrests had been made, including British officials, but that the 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. It was later denied and subsequently confirmed that a British woman was not shot.