GERMAN PROMISE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 35, 10 August 1936, Page 9

GERMAN PROMISE

NO SUPPLIES TO SPAIN

PORTUGUESE ATTIITUDE

<stecelvea August 10, 12.10 p.m.)

LONDON, August 9. Britain has made representations to Italy, Germany, and Portugal, urging them to associate themselves with the French neutrality proposals. Portugal has raised certain objections on account of her geographical position. The German Charge A' Affaires in London has given the Boreign Office explicit assurances that Germany has not sent any kind of vutatr material to the rebels, and has promised that she will not send such materials in future. He also intimated that the German warships had been instructed not to do anything-, which might be interpreted as sympathy with the rebels. It now appears ;that Germany is yielding to pressuae of British opinion, and is preparqd to agree to neutrality, even if Italy refuses, provided satisfactory assurjanccs arc also obtained from Russia. Fears had been entertained that GorI mnny intended to land marines at

Barcelona. Though the terms of the Gorman Note to Spain in respect of the; German citizens who were alleged to have been murdered are not announced, it is believed in London that iGu rmany is not merely demanding a substantial money payment but impqsin/i a definite time limit. Berlin rcpqrts state that German intervention in. Spain is authoritatively denied. A Fq reign Office official declared that Germjmy decided on the present measures oi;ily after negotiations with the Spanisja Government were concluded. The amount of compensation Germany is dq mandjng will depend on an mvestigattjjn of the personal affairs of the vieI til.ns.

The Berlin correspondent ol the ES.-jtish United Press news agency says tfc.at M. Poncet, French Ambassador, culled on Count yon Neurath, German tTureign Minister, who accepted noniu.lervention with the proviso that all nations remain strictly neutral.

The French Cabinet has completed a resolution of non-intervention in the Spanish civil war binding each signatory to prohibit the export or transport •to Spain of all war materials, civil and military aircraft, and warships.

-The Press in Madrid, which nowadays is exclusively Governmental, regards the French neutrality proposals -as" a lesser evil than foreign intervention. The Left Wing leader Caballero ♦declares that French assistance would •.(automatically provoke the Fascist [•countries to co-operate with the rebels, entailing international war, and that itherefore European neutrality is essential.