WITHOUT MERCY

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 451, 19 June 1937, Page 5

WITHOUT MERCY

FUGITIVES SHOT DOWN

TRAGEDY OF THE RETREAT FROM BILBAO

Unbelievable Horrors Of Bombardment

Press Association —Copyright. (Received 12.5 p.m.) London, June 18. The Basque delegate in London has received a message from the Bilbao Government emplhasising ruthlessness of the Rebels, who, it is stated, are bombarding de. fenceless fugitives on the Santander Road. This conduct is the more indefensible because there are no troop movements in this area. Ten thousand tons of h.’gh explosive shells have fallen on Bilbao within twenty-four hours, inflicting casualties on non-com-batants beyond computation. A woman who lost her children in the darkness found their corpses riddled with machine- • gun bullets; just before a shell blew her to pieces. “We appeal to the humanitarians of all civilised countries to alleviate the suffering and terror of these helpless innocents.”

The Manchester Guardiairs Bilbao correspondent says there has been nothing more ghastly in the course of the war than the guns and bombs of a foreign enemy decimating the refugees fleeing to Santander. The nerves of These pitiable fugitives are torn to shreds by the daily bombing. Fifteen Henkel machines flying low, appeared when the head of the column reached Iraugui. The fugitive«jj threw themselves flat, but tne airmen mercilessly miachine-gunned and bombed, killing and wounding women, children and old men. Tne planes swept up and down the road for two and a-half hours.

CALMING THEIR FEARS

Basque Children In England

Press Association—Copyright. , (Received 2 p.m.) London, June 18. While not d-esiring to alarm the children unnecessarily, .the Authorities at the Basque refugee camp near Southampton, realising that the prominence given Bilbao in newspaper headings has made :the children realise that something is wrong, decided to broadcast selected news items by means of loudspeakers last night to the children, numbering 2800. They will receive an additional broadcast later.