DELIBERATE DEED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1938, Page 7

DELIBERATE DEED

SINKING OF THORPE HALL

STRONG BRITISH PROTEST TO FRANCO.

STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 30.

In reply to a question in the House of Commons on the bombing and sinking of the British cargo ship Thorpe Hall on May 24 off Valencia Harbour. Mr R. A. Butler. Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said that, from reports he had received, he understood that the Thorpe Hall was attacked by an aeroplane which dropped two bombs. Ono struck the vessel, which sank half an hour later.

From the fact that the ship was lying well away from the harbour and had been reconnoitred by a similar plane on the previous evening, the British Government considered that the vessel was the victim of a deliberate attack.

Sir Robert Hodgson, British Agent at Burgos, had been instructed to bring the incident to the notice of the Nationalist authorities and to request that strong disciplinary action be taken against the crew of the offending aircraft.

Sir Robert had been further instructed to impress upon the Burgos authorities the serious view taken by the British Government of the repetition of deliberate attacks on British shipping and to request that immediate instructions be given that such attacks should cease. The British Government had reserved th; right to claim full compensation lor loss or damage to persons or property resulting from this attack.

The Thorpe Hall has appeared in the news before in connection with the Spanish war. On July 4 last year a group of Spanish banks in Holland requested the authorities at The Hague to examine the cargo of the vessel, which was then in Dutch territorial waters.

The Thorpe Hall, which at that time had r British master and a Spanish crew, was accordingly taken to Flushing and searched. It was revealed that she had on board 130 cases of gold in addition to shares, bonds jewellery and other valuables worth at least £150.000. ■ Twelve automatic pistols and a large quantity of ammunition were also found among the Spanish crew. A Dutch court ordered the valuables to be sequestered, in spite of appeals from the Basque and Spanish Governments. ANOTHER OUTRAGE BRITISH SHIP BOMBED AND SUNK. WHILE UNDERGOING REPAIRS: (Recd This Day, 10.20 a.m.) VALENCIA, May 31. The insurgents bombed and sank the British ship Penthames. The vessel was being repaired when it was sunk. The crew was saved.