SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Wairarapa Daily Times, 24 August 1936, Page 5

SPANISH CIVIL WAR

A FIERCE BATTLE REBEL LEADERS DISAGREE. Press Association Electric Teiecranh—Copyright LONDON, Saturday. Newspaper correspondents, summing up the Spanish situation, consider that after five Aveeks’ fighting neither side can be said to be winning. The "Manchester Guardian” considers that the rebels are beginning to feel the lack of men and there are signs of apparent disunity among the rebel leaders, General Franco, de Llano and Mola all aspiring to supreme command. The Government forces do not lack man-power and determination, but lack training and ammunition. A message from Gijon states that the battle for the Simancas Barracks was one of the fiercest of the civil Avar. Only 150 members of the rebel garrison of 500 escaped alive. All the surA’iA'ors Avere captured.

Hurling dynamite and firebands, the attacking troops rushed the barracks, Avhicli Avere set on fire and the Avails shattered. Many of the fleeing rebels Avere shot. All the officers Avere killed 'or committed suicide. The attackers then extinguished the flames and salvaged arms and ammunition. — » AN OUTSPOKEN PRIEST. MADRID, Saturday. Father Garcia Morales, a Catholic priest knoAvn throughout Spain, in a broadcast address, praised the Basque Catholics for supporting tpie Government, adding: — "The people do not hate God or the Catholic Church, but resent the action of those priests supporting the forces of reaction. I hate the Hierarchy supporting those avlio brought back the Moors, avlio Avere expelled from Spain only after eight centuries of Avarfare. ” JESUIT PROPERTY RESTORED. LONDON, Saturday. A Burgos, report says that the Parliament of Navarre has decided to authorise the return of the Jesuits avlio were expelled in 1931. All their property is to be restored to the Jesuits. DIPLOMATIC CORPS DISSOLVED. MADRID, Saturday. The Government has decided to dissolve the present Diplomatic Corps, substituting only men of knoAvn sympathies toAA-ard the Government. THE BLOCKADE. NOT RECOGNISED BY BRITAIN.

LONDON, Saturday.. » The "Morning Post’® diplomatic correspondent says that Britain has informed the Spanish Government that it does not recognise the blockade because theprerequisites are <not present. , The British decision means that any attempt to hold up and search British vessels outside Spanish territorial Avaters Avill be forcibly resisted. The Spanish Government has informed Britain that it does not propose to exercise its right to search British ships on the high seas. The position of ships in Spanish Avaters is under discussion. The Spanish Government has ordered the Press not to publish critical comments on Italy and Germany. The practice in international laAv is that if a blockade is to be permissible, it requires, first, that the blockade shall be effective, and secondly, that the party against Avliom it is aimed is a belligerent. So far the Spanish Government has not recognised the insurgents as belligerents, Avhile it is doubted Avhetlier it has sufficient ships to enforce a blockade. NEUTRALITY PROPOSAL. ITALY ACCEPTS. LONDON, Saturday. A message from Rome states that the Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, intimated to the French Ambassador, M. Chambrun, Italy’s acceptance of the French proposals lor non-interven-tion in Spain, handing the Ambassador a note undertaking to prevent the direct and indirect exportation or re-ex-portation to Spain of arms, munitions, Avar material, aeroplanes, and Avarships. Italy is applying the embargo to current contract's, and also is ready to keep in contact Avith other interested States for reciprocal communications of all measures implementing such declaration. Italy Avill give effect to the declaration Avlien the French, British Portuguese, German and Russian Governments have adhered to it. RIOT ON LINER. OVER GERMAN ATTITUDE. NEW YORK, Saturday. Several hundred Communists, demonstrating against Germany s attitude in the Spanish rebellion, created a riot aboard the liner Bremen just before she sailed on Friday night. As a result of the- riot some time ago, pier officials are. careful to exclude agitators, and the Communists boarded the ship through the ruse of dressing in evening clothes and strolling up the gangway in small groups. At a given signal they started distributing anti-Fascist pamphlets and shouting, "Hitler must be kept out of Spain.” When the crew tried to remoA'o them a free-for-all fight staited AA'ith chairs as clubs, to the consternation of the 800 passengers and 3000 visitors. An emergency squad of /0 police finally dispersed the Communists, after arresting a dozen of them for disorderly conduct. Although a number suffered cuts and bruises, there Avere no serious injuries.

A similar incident occurred aboard

the Bremen at Ncav York in July of last year, Avhen 2000 Communists staged a Avild anti-llitler demonstration, pulling down the liner’s flag and tlnwing it into the Hudson River. The Communists carried banners demanding the release of Thaelmann, one of the Reichstag fire trial defendants, and before the' 250 police avlio Avere called could restore order, considerable fighting took place. REBELS ROUTED. (Received Monday, 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, Sunday. It is reported fro'm Burgos that Communists at Barcelona murdered Cardinal Barraquer. The Government claims to have routed a rebel column at Medellin, including Foreign Legionaries and Moors. The British United Press correspondent at Navalperal says that Colonel Mangana’s Workers’ Militia defeated the rebels on the mountain front north of Madrid. Moorish prisoners state that 500 Moors formed the advance guard; They complained that the officers forced them to lead the attack, shooting any avlio showed signs of vacillation. They also told them that the opposing militia Avas armed only Avith picks and shovels. REBEL ACTIVITIES. SUCCESSES CLAIMED. (Received Monday, 12.10 p.m.) T LONDON, Sunday. General Franco announces minor successes near Saragossa and elseAvhere. Insurgent columns surround the Rio Tinto mining district, where 10,000 hardy loyalist miners, Avell supplied with ammunition and small arms, haA T e soavu all the approaches with dynamite and placed barbed wire around the adjacent villages. A rebel bombing raid destroyed a petrol depot at Malaga, containing one million gallons.

Loyalist troops around Cordoba coun-ter-attached and drove the rebels into the city, with heavy losses among Foreign Legionaries and Moors.