SPANISH SITUATION

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 393, 27 March 1937, Page 5

SPANISH SITUATION

FRANCE’S WARNING. USE OF ITALIAN TROOPS. An Appeal to League Probable. Press Association —Copyright. London, March 25. France has warned both Italy and Germany that she will not tolerate the sending of further socalled, foreign volunteers to Spain, says the Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent. The French action followed reports from M. Corbin, French Ambassador at London, of the position taken up by the British Government, and as a direct outcome of Signor Grandi's statement that Italian troops in Spain would not be withdrawn. The Paris correspondent of the British United Press alleges that M. Delbos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, informed the British and German Ambassadors that if more Italian troops were sent to Spain, France might have to appeal to the League for coercive measures against Italy. These would be firstly naval. M. Delbos declared that the continued sending of Italian troops to Spain would be interpreted as the desire of the Italians to install themselves in Spain, menacing French communications with North Africa, which France would not permit. It was pointed out that Germany had sent no volunteers to Spain since January. France would, therefore, be happy if Herr Hitler would intercede with Signor Mussolini and prevent the dispatch of further Italians,

SOVIET CHARGES ITALY Most Flagrant Case. Press Association.—Copyright. London, March 24. The Soviet representatives stated at a meeting of the Non-Intervention Committee to-day that, according to the Russian Government’s most reliable information, the number of Italians In Spain in the middle of February was not fewer than 60,000, and it had reasons to believe the number had since been considerably increased.