BERLIN OPPOSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 93, 6 May 1937, Page 5

BERLIN OPPOSES

— Preee Assn.-

Humanising The Spanish War BOMBING OF TOWNS "Such Actions Necessary," Says Ambassador A CAMPAIGN OF TERROR

(& Telograph-

-Copyriizhe.)

» (Received 6, 8.45 a.m.) LQNDON, May 5. The Daily Telegraph's diplomatic eorrespondent reveals that the Gerinan Ambassador, Herr von Ribbentrop, at Ihe N pu-lntervention Copmittee nmetipg opposed representations against hojnbing open towns, saying it amounted to interference in internal affairs. He added from his own experience in the Great War that such actions, xegrottable, wero somctimes necessary. The Russian Ambassador, M. Maisky, eaid Herr von Ribbentrop 's attitude ■uggested that Germany was anxioua to prepare the grouud for further b°mbing. ' Herr von Ribbentrop 'g refusal to agree has aroused gusi>ivinn «ud apprehensjon. He furned a deaf ear to Lord PJyiQopth's insigtence that their Qnly object waa to humanise war and even yqsisted LQrfi Plymouth 'e .proposal to iubjnit a memorandum precisely explainlng Britain 'a ideas. Herr von Ribbentrop 's attitude conf traats with the Gqrman peace plan which ha hiwself brought to Londan lait year in which he proposed measures to impart a moral and humane atposphere to aerial warfare, including the prohibition pf the bombing of open lopalitiee and the bombardment of places outside the battle zone. The German Ambassador 'a surprising volte face i« »upported? by Jtaly and Portugal. The Daily H«rald?s diplomatic correapondent enlls attention to reporta from nnd elpawhere that Italy and

Germany are preparing a campaign of terror as a despeTate attempt to break the morale pf ^the Spanish people and giyp General Franco the victory. . The News-Chronicle stresse? the faet - that vrelbauthenticated reports from Prance deelare that German aeroplanes are nightly crossing French territory. presumably for Spain. Italian 'planes are alsa arriving vi& Majorea. It js believed they bave planned a terriflc bombardment of Bilbao and Madrid to teirorisa the civil population while Britam is preoccupiqd with the Coronation.