Naval Cordon Around Spain

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 40, 17 February 1937, Page 5

Naval Cordon Around Spain

Decision of Non-infervention Committee Italy in Agreement if Others Follow United Press Assn. — By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Tuesday, 8 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 15. The Non-Intervention Committee has agreed to ban, as from midnight, February SO, volunteers going to Spain. A control scheme providing a naval cordon around Spain to prevent the entry of arms and volunteers and to report breaches to London will be operative from midnight, March 6. Signor Grandi, withdrawing reservations, notified the Subcommittee that Italy would agree to an immediate ban contingent on other powers doing likewise. A full meeting on February 16 will accept the recommendations.

FKANOE ISSUED VEILED THREAT PROPOSED TO ACT ON OWN INITIATIVE Received Tuesday, 11.55 pan. LONDON, Feb. 16. The Morning Post’s diplomatic correspondent says with regard to the non-intervention proposals, that the unexpected decision is largely due to the French representative, namely, Ambassador Corbins, whose vigorous opening speech emphasising that France a month ago offered to impose a volunteer ban and unless the others are now willing to do the same, France must draw her own conclusions and act accordingly. The proposed ban should be fixed to operate by the week-end, otherwise France would adopt her own measures to protect French interests in Spain and elsewhere. It is widely believed Corbin’s | diplomatic language concealed a threat to march two French divisions to Spain and finish the civil war in a fortnight unless other Powers stopped interfering. SAVAGE WARFARE. REBELS LOSE THOUSANDS •■OF MEN. Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 15. Dodging through olive groves in savage guerilla warfare, Moors and Legionaries are fighting their way forward with hand grenades, bayonets and knives on a spacious plateau twenty miles south-east of Madrid, against desperate opposition by Loyalists. .These, besides slowing up the rebel advance on this sector with maehine-guns, are maintaining pressure against the rebels, who are swinging southwards from Guadalajara. In the meantime, rebel ’planes are Hying to and fro above Arganda trying to discover the keypoint of the Loyalist defences, which arc in charge of a German officer named Heinz, a former Reiehswehr colonel, whose antiHitler attitude necessitated his leaving Berlin. The Times’ Valencia correspondent says the insurgents’ attack on the Jarama front is held up. They were severely punished, losses amounting to a thousand men in two days. Loyalist dynamiters smashed a rebel tank attack. HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS? Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 15. Members of the Commons questioned Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, seeking to ascertain the number of volunteers in Spain. Viscount Cranborne explained that although he understood there were considerable numbers of Russians in Madrid and Catalonia, he was unable accurately to estimate the numbers or how they compared with tho Italians and Germans. He did not possess official information regarding Spauish allegations that Italian warships participated in the attack on Malaga. Mr. Arthur Henderson: Does an Italian warship come under Mussolini’s definition of a. volunteer? COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA IN BRITAIN Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 15. Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, questioned in the Commons by Conservatives, said the Third International, through Communists, was distributing propaganda# in Britain for which the Soviet on several occasions had disclaimed responsibility. Britain did not accept the explanation and would continue to make strong representations to the Soviet on appropriate cases. GERMANS AND ITALIANS BEHIND EVERY GUN VALENCIA, Feb. 15. Senor Devayo, in the course of an interview, declared: “Never shall we forget the activity of the German fleet which, with a few ships, has shown itself capable of more insolence and audacity than the combined fleets oi the world, and had acted as tho ruler of the seas and master of the Mediterranean. We shall never forget that foreign intervention permitted the destruction of Madrid by German planes. General Franco and hie generals began as the Fascists’ marionettes and are now playing a secondary role, Germans and Italians occupying all tho posts of responsibility. They are behind every enemy gun.”

FOUR BOMBS DROPPED. NEAR BRITISH DESTROYERS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 15. Insurgent aircraft, which appeared to be a four-engined Junker with bombing gear, circled twice round H.M. destroyers Havock and Gypsy outside Spanish territorial waters yesterday and dropped two 4001 b. bombs and two 401 b. bombs without effect. The destroyers replied with warning shots, and the aircraft proceeded towards the Balearic Islands. One of the destroyers was cn route ' for Malta and the other for tho Eastern Mediterranean. A protest was immediately lodged by tho Consul at Palma and a formal protest will also bo sent to the Salamanca authorities by tho British Ambassador, Sir Henry Chilton. CATHOLICS BLAMED. IMPROPER POLITICAL ACTIVITY. LONDON, Feb. 15. The absence of anti-God propaganda or molestation of Protestant churches and pastors, while many Catholic churches have been destroyed and priests killed, impressed an Anglican and Free Church group, including the Deans of Chichester and Rochester, who returned from Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. They report that while a strong anticlerical movement exists there is no evidence of Godless propaganda. Scriptures are being offered freely on bookstalls. Catholic churches were closed or secularised. Some of them were undamaged, some had religious symbols removed, and others had been damaged or destroyed by fire or military operations owing to their employment as rebel munition stores from which crowds wore fired upon. Terrorists in the country districts had invaded villages and burned churches. The Government, upon regaining control of the mob elements, had made efforts to preserve whatever was artistically valuable in the churches and had tried to safeguard tho priests, conveying some abroad under protection and arresting others. Some hid and many were killed either after trials at which they were convicted of rebellion or in mob outbreaks. Unless parish priests were actively unpopular they were not killed by parishioners. Hatred was more violent against religious orders than against parochial clergy. The discovery of largo stores of money in clerical and conventual houses aggravated the mobs. Toleration would be assured if future Catholic leaders separated religion from improper political activity. “LIFELINE OF MADRID.” BATTLES MOST INTENSE. LONDON, February 15. The Spanish Government admits that Sunday’s battles for the “lifeline of Madrid” were most intense, but claims that the main highway to Valencia was still open, though subject to artillery fire. Fighting was intensified all day on tbc Jarama River, with the rebels attacking the Arganda bridge commanding tho highway. There was furious fighting on the Guadalajara front. Th? position was unchanged at nightfall. General Del Lano claims that insurgents crossed the Manzaxiares and Jarama rivers. Control of the Arganda ! ridge is enabling Madrid to be completely besieged, so that it will be forced to surrender. Insurgents have further advanced towards Almeria and are occupying Torrenuenva, near Motril. The Perpignan railway from France to Spain, on tho eastern frontier, was cut when an insurgent ’plane flew over Portdou and dropped bombs on the line which was destroyed for a considerable distance