Evening star., 1936-08-08

after potn Sides had had an opportu-
nifty to grasp the significance of the
surprise meeting, they met at another
part Of the island and fought it out.
The same thing was repeated time
after time among individuals on the
island, and at Gibraltar the other day
there was almost a record case of a
change of allegiance and mistaken
identity. One of the ships in the
Spanish Navy suddenly opened fire
on other Spanish ships standing by,
and the shots came close enough to
seriously eudanger foreign vessels in
the Straits. A British officer went
out in small boat to find out why
this ship was firing on her sister
ships, and to warn the commander
to keep his firing from coming so close
to foreign vessels. He was met by a
petty officer and informed that there
had been mut!ny on board, and
that the Spanish ship now belonged
to the rebels. No one in Spain seems
to know what any one else is doing.
and it is that uncertainty and anxiety
that makes the situation so dan
gerous.
Morocco Heart Of Revolt.
The heart of the revolution Is in
Spanish Morocco, and it is vital to the
rebels to clear the Straits of Gibraltar
for the safe passage of troops. With
the navy divided, that is becoming in
creasingly difficult, and both the Com
muniStS and the Fascists have turned
to high-powered bombing planes. The
Communist government has, curiously
enough, found a ready supported in
France, and has already purchased
some 25 airplanes and $4,000 bombs.
1t is even whispered in informed cir
cles that France will openly follow the
acknowledged prejudices of her foreign
minister, M. Delbos, and reverse its
previous declaration of neutrality, to
openly furnish supplies to the Span
ist government. This seems almost un-
believable in view of the fact that
French Communists all along the bor-
der have seized the present emergency
to incite rioting in France. Marseille
has had a particularly bad time But
later reports have strengthened the
rumor.
On the other hand, Germany and
Italy have expressed sympathy for the
rebels. A German junkers tri-motor
machine has already landed at Moroc-
co, and 40 German and Italian bomb
ing and transport planes are expected
there soon. Britain has also seemed
to be on the side of the rebels. Four
British planes arrived in Bordeaux,
destined, it was said, for Lisbon. Upon
protest, they were seized and detained
until their proper destination might be
made clear. Later reports were that
they had been sent back to England.
In the meantime more serious in
ternational complications had arisen
in Barcelona, when the Italian Con-
sulate was burned. II Duce retaliated
in the true Lord Palmerston manner
by ordering an Italian warship to the
harbor with the decks cleared for
action. Barcelona might have been
reduced to ashes from the fire of the
Italian guns had not an English war
ship been In the narbor and had not
its commander raced to the italian
ship In time to keep the situation in
hand. Now II is feared that there
will be a general Fascist naval
demonstration in the Straits of
Gibraltar, particularly II France comes
out openly in support of the Com
munists. Such a concentration of
italian ships, the British feel, would
be inimical to their interests at
Gibraltar, and the remainder Of the
huge British feet, it Is reported, have
received orders to proceed to Gibraltar
prepared for any emergency. It Is out
of this general tenseness, fear and
conflict Of interests that a general war
may ensue. The peace Of the world
is at the mercy of an incident in the
Mediterranean.