Evening star., 1936-08-02
REPORT CONFIRMS
U.S.PLANT SEIZURE
Immediate Official Reaction
Lacking on First Big
Requisitioning.
Ry the Associated Press.

Hy the Associated Press.
Summary seizure of the Barcelona
plants of the Ford Motor Co. and the
General Motors Corp. by forces
aligned with the government in the
Spanish revolution was officially re-
ported today to the State Depart
ment.
Although reported as the first
large-scale requisitioning of American
property abroad since the Russian
revolution of 1917, the news evoked
no immediate official reaction here.
There were authoritative indications
that no diplomatic steps in connection
with the action were contemplated in
the near future by the United States.
The protection of American lives in
Spain, it was said at the State De-
partment, still is the first considera-
ton Of this Government.
IS Taken Aboard at Valencia.
Details of the seizure of the two
motor plants reached the department
coincidentally with advices that IS
American refugees from Madrid had
been taken aboard at Valencia by the
heavy cruiser Quincy and that As
others from Palma, in the Balearic
Islands, had been safely landed at
Marseille, France, yesterday.
The embassy at Madrid previously
had advised that all Americans wish
ing to leave the rebel-threatened
inland capital already had done so.
Approximately ITO still remained
there.
Reporting through Madrid, Ameri-
can Consul Lynn w. Franklin at
Barcelona said the two automobile
plants had been taken over by the
Central Committee for anti-Fascist
Militia of Catalonia"
This committee, he said, notified
General Motors officials of its action
in letter dated July 80, which bore
the seal of the War Department.
Franklin summarized the letter as
follows:
General Motors factory, material
and automobile trucks are under con-
troll of the Central Committee for
anti-Fascist Militia of Catalonia,
which is responsible for everything
relating to the factory.
Material Kept in Factory.
Therefore no class of material will
leave the factory without the consent
OF the delegate named by U.S."
No explanation as to the origin,
nature and functions of the COM
mittee was given. In diplomatic quar-
tiers, however, it was believed to rep
resent extremist elements among gov
ernment supporters, who have taken
advantage of the revolt to seize places
OF authority in several cities.
Particularly in Barcelona-the seat
OF large industrial population-the
Popular Front government of Spain
is said to have been encountering
great difficulty in controlling radical
factions among those who have
sprung to its defense against the
Fascist rebels.
Recently the State Department was
advised officially that the president Of
the Catalonian government was ull-
able to guarantee protection for
American lives and property, pre-
sumably for this reason.
The right to requisition property In
time of war, both civil and between
nations, has become recognized
principle Of international law, partic-
ularly in instances where such prop
erty is recognizably military neces-
sity.
Compensation Required.
This recognition, however, is predi-
Gated on the requirement that ade-
quate compensation be paid to the
owners.
In view of this, responsible quar-
tiers considered it likely the Ameli-
can Government will await further
information as to Spanish intentions
with respect to the motor plant be.
fore determining upon course of ac-
ton.
In any case, it was said, a diplo-
matte protest Immediately is improo-
able
1t was understood that officials of
both the Ford Motor Co. and Gen.
eral Motors Corp. have been in COM
munication with the State Depart
ment concerning the situation con-
fronting their plants.