SPANISH SET-BACK

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1937, Page 5

SPANISH SET-BACK

AT GENEVA Loss of Council Seat [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] GENEVA, September 20. The Assembly rejected by 24 to 23 votes the Spanish claim for re-eiligi-bility for election to the Council, for which a two-thirds majority is required. Five ballot papers were spoiled. The delegates heard the figures in breathless silence and some astonishment, when it was realised that Spain had not even received a bare majority. The Assembly also rejected by 25 to 25 votes, Turkey’s request for reelection. As Peru and Iraq are the only candidates for the seats vacated by Spain and Turkey, it is certain tnat they will be elected. Probably either Hungary or Belgium will be elected to the remaining seats.

Spain’s non-election to the Council was largely due to a breakdown of negotiations with South American countries, which sought a speedy evacuation of refugees from the Legations.

BRITISH AIRCRAFT FOR MEDITERRANEAN. (British Official Wireless]. RUGBY, September 18. The five flying-boats comprising No. 209, General Reconnaissance Squadron, which flew yesterday from Felixstowe to Plymouth, were to continue the flight to Malta to-day. No. 210 Squadron, stationed at Pembroke, will leave for Malta later.

ITALIANS KILLED IN SPAIN. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn] ROME, September 20. An official bulletin of Italian casualties in Spain contains 307 names, but rank and where they died are not mentioned. This brings the total casualties in Spain to 1629. The bulletin states that the men who fell, in defending “Mediterranean civilisation,” were buried in cemeteries facing the sea. They will be commemorated on October 26, when tablets with their names inscribed, will be placed in memorial chapels.

THE SUBMARINE INCIDENT. PARIS, September 20. The police connect the men attempting to seize submarine C2, with the Paris bomb outrage on September 12. Morendain was already wanted for questioning on this affair, so was the Spanish Nationalist, who was shot dead. Morendain has been crossing the Franco-Spanish frontier regularly. When fuses and detonators were re-1 cently found in his car, he was arrested, but he broke his bail. Morendain was also suspected of the attempt at Bayonne on September 3, to blow up the French Government steamer, Maria Amalia, which was loading food for the Basques. Toncoso, Military Governor of Irun, one of Franco’s right-hand men, was taken into custody by the French police on the International Bridge, between Hendaye and Irun, in connec tion with the C2 attempt. Toncoso heard that Morendain was arrested. He hurried from Irun to ask for his release. He adopted a violent attitude and declared, “If you arrest me, it will be a virtual declaration of war. Every French Consul in Nationalist Spain will be arrested as a reprisal.” The police, however, taking him to Brest, claim that he admitted he instigated the C2 attempt. GENEVA, September 20.

Referring to the Spanish situation and non-intervention, Mr. Eden said that some engagements entered into had not been kept. If this state of affairs continued, it would be dangerous for the whole of Europe. If the policy of non-intervention in Spain were abandoned, Europe would, be swept into deeper and more dangerous waters. Britain would spare no endeavour to prevent war engulfing Europe.

German Preference RETURN OF COLONIES. INSTEAD OF TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS. LAus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] BERLIN, September 21. Mr. Eden’s offer to discuss a lowering of colonial tariffs and his references to raw materials as a means of economic and political appeasement are received coolly by Germany. The offer is regarded as definitely excluding the return of Germany’s colonies. GERMAN SATISFACTION. AT GENEVA VOTE. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] BERLIN, September 21. The newspaper, “Volkischer Beobachter,” official Nazi organ, relegates a speech on British policy delivered by Mr. Eden to the League of Nations Assembly to a paragraph in its back page. The paper more than satisfied attention to the Spanish Government’s failure to get itself re-elected to the League of Nations Council.