STILL NO REPLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 June 1938, Page 8

STILL NO REPLY

BRITISH REPRESENTATIONS TO BURGOS REGARDING THE BOMBING OF SHIPS. AGENT FURTHER INSTRUCTED. (British Official Wireless.) (Reed This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, June 28. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr Chamberlain) said no reply had yet been received from Burgos regarding the bombing of British ships. He added that a further communication had been sent to Sir Robert Hodgson (British Agent at Burgos) instructing him to press for a reply forthwith, in order that he might return to London without delay. A British Official "Wireless message states that earlier this month a list of twelve ships, ten of which were British, was circulated by General Franco’s administration, together with allegations that these ships were carrying illegal supplies. Britain has caused an investigation to be made of these allegations through the NonIntervention Board and it is learned that the reports of the board show that no breach of the Non-Intervention Agreement has been committed by any British ship named on General Franco’s list. Moreover, the owners very strongly denied that the vessels were carrying goods prohibited under the 1936 Act. These ships always carried non-intervention observers. Sir Robert Hodgson has been instructed to inform Burgos of the results of these investigations, in the hope of preventing the further circulation of such unfounded charges against British merchant ships.