BRITISH SHIPS DAMAGED

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20679, 14 December 1938, Page 7

BRITISH SHIPS DAMAGED

GENERAL FRANCO RESPONSIBLE MANY MEN LOSE LIVES (•United Press Assn.—Elec. TeL Copyright) (Received Dec. 13, i p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12 In reply to a questiou in the House of Commons, Mr it. A. Butler said that since the outbreak of the Spanish civil war 120 incidents in which British ships had suffered interference or .damage by the Spanish Nationalist forces had occurred. In nineteen of these cases the ships concerned had been in territorial waters. The bulk of the damage had been relatively slight. The British Government held General Franco’s forces responsible for all these incidents. / Forty-eight officers and men, also three non-intervention officers, had lost their lives in these attacks, and 64 officers and men were known to have been injured. Apart from the case of damage to H.M.S. Hunter no detailed claim had yet been presented to the Burgos authorities in respect of these attacks, although the Government reserved the right to claim compensation in due course. Mr Butler reiterated that as General Franco did not possess belligerent rights and the right to take ships or cargoes to any prize court General Franco’s prize court was illegal and its decisions illegal.