Evening star., 1937-01-03

der and foreign office reports said, was
shelled of the northern coast Of
Spain near the fishing village of Elan
chove. The French ship, much faster
than the armed trawler pursuers, es-
capped without damage. Spanish gov
ernment airplanes took up the chase.
Diplomatic circles were particu-
larly gloomy over the Soton Incl
dent, terming it an extremely bad
augury for the future
The German action hardly per-
mits one to conclude Germany is sin
cerely in favor of efforts made by
other nations to prevent the Span
ish conflict degenerating into world
war" said one diplomat.
Several other nations had citizens
killed and ships stopped. even sunk
by one side or the other in the Span
ish civil war. but did not adopt the
German method of dealing with it."
He asserted Russia took no action
against Fascist Gen. Francisco
Franco, even after an insurgent ship
was said to have torpedoed the Kon-
somol. and France limited herself
to diplomatic protest after Span
ish government plane shot down an
airship. killing French newspaper
man and wounding another.
Stirred by the attack against the
freighter Soton, the Spanish Social
ist government through its embassy
here declared the incident was an
"act Of war" and warned of re-
prisaS.
Spain to Make Reply.
"The legitimate Spanish govern
ment will reply in fitting manner"
an embassy communique said. after
Ambassador Luis Araquistain con-
ferred by telephone with his Valencia
superiors.
The European intervention
Committee. Ambassador Araquistain
said, would be asked to Judge this
fragrant act Of Intervention in the
Spanish war"
He cited various works Of ,interna-
tional law to prove the Basque Ma
tionalists at Bilbao had q right to
search the Nazi freighter Palos and
connscate a cargo OF asserted war
materials.
The Basques captured the Palos
last week, subsequently released 1t, but
refused to give up the cargo and an
unidentified Spanish passenger. This
inspired the Nazi reprisal.
International law permitting search
of vessels of another nation always
has been considered perfectly legal"
the Spanish communique stated.
Such law, the embassy maintained,
even grants the right to search ships
on the high seas outside territorial
waters; therefore, the German asser-
tion the Palos was stopped 23 miles
of the coast does not alter the situa-
ton.
Hague Law Is Cited.
The Hague convention of 1907 and
Italian activity in the war Of 1912
against Turkey were cited as justify.
ing the act. but without admitting
the Palos was seized outside terri
torial waters.
The attack against the Soton with
the aggravating circumstance that it
occurred in Spanish waters" was, the
communique declared, mot an act of
reprisal that could in any way be
justified, but an act Of war against the
Spanish Republic"
(The declaration was the second
charging an "act of war" Madrid
similarly had charged Italian and
German recognition Of the Fascist
junta of Francisco Franco was an act
Of aggression against the Socialist re-
public.)
Spanish ENJOYS in Paris said they
would consult French and British
government leaders. and observers
here saw in the incidents a cause for
German refusal to accept Franco
British demands for a halt to enlist
ment of foreign volunteers in the civil
war.