FRANCE CONCERNED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1939, Page 5

FRANCE CONCERNED

GUARD ON APPROACHES FROM SPAIN ITALIAN TROOPS MASSED ON FRONTIER. MANY GERMAN TECHNICIANS WITH FRANCO. •3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, April 15. The Paris correspondent of the British United Press reports that officials at Hendaye deciare that the French frontier batteries are fully manned and command all Spanish approaches. Troops are at present manning the mountain defences. Heavy guns and extra ammunition have been installed and anti-aircraft equipment has been reinforced. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Bordeaux correspondent says that France is most perturbed by reports that 15,000 to 20,000 fresh Italian troops, which landed at Cadiz, are concentrating at Logrono, 60 miles from the Franco-Span-ish frontier. Logrono was the site of the Italian headquarters throughout the civil war, but the need of concentrations there has clearly passed. It is known that 9000 or 10,000 picked German technicians and artillerymen are still in Spain, distributed over the northern towns. It is considered that they would be more useful to General Franco than the Italians in the event of an attack against France. In addition to numerous artillery, anti-tank, and anti-aircraft guns, the Germans possess 50 guns, which are amongst the heaviest in Europe. These were largely responsible for the smashing of the Catalan front. Large quantities of war material have been landed at Vigo during the last 10 days. France is also most concerned over the continued presence of hundreds of Italian and German aeroplanes accommodated at a string of German-built, heavily fortified aerodromes on the northern frontier.