The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-23
TRUCE NOT UP
T0SPANlARDS,
now BELIEVED !. |
Is Primarily Problem Of
British Premier and
Mussolini
FASCISTS FALLING
BACK, is REPORT
;(By UNITED PRESSJ

The outcome of the Spanish
civil war may be- decided soon
in Europe's diplomatic conference
rooms instead of on the battle
fields.
The question Of q truce in the
two.year-old conflict has been
taken out of the hands Of COM
batants, in the opinion Of observ-
ers, and rests en- the ability OF
! world powers TO- agree on the con.
clusion Of the small scale world
war in Spain.
Primarily, the problem OF end
ing the conflict depends More on
the success Of British Prime Min
lister Neville Chamberlafn's nego-
tiations with Italian Premier BEN
ito Mussolini than on any other
factor, including military gains OF
either loyalist or insurgent armies
which are now deadlocked on the
Valencia front. - ~,
Sir Kingsley Wood; British air
minister, today announced . drive
to increase the strength Of the air
force personnel by more than 40
per cent. 49,.
he will seek by March, 1882,
to recruit more than 2;100 pilots,
more than; $50 observers, nearly
$4,000 tradesmen and unskilled
workers and more than, 5000
boys. ...,, =. ! :, -,
than 10000 men to the air force
which now numbers 72,QD0.
The men to he. feeSrited VIII
4 s6s ~, ssScss
the eapansfo2 program bsssr IN
1885. !,
It was explained that the JIM
crease was planned In consequence
of the production Of thousands OF
war planes and large quantities OF
equipment and air armament OF
sMt1ElAlS INV m THE
LITTLE WORLD WAR"
A lone insurgent seaphne bomb
ed and sank three British mer-
chant ships of this blockaded 10y
alist port Of Valencia yesterday,
after machine-gunni their decks.
Another British merchantmen was
attacked in the Straits Of Gibral-
tar. ~
The British admiralty announc.
ed last night that the British de-
stroyer Imogen had gone to the
aid of and released the British
merchant ship African Trader, In
tercepted on the Mediterranean
high seas by q lone seaplane.
Generalissimo Francisco Franco
has been reported in radio dis
patches to be moving 10000 Al.
ricar, Moors across the Straits OF
Gibraltar IN hope Of achieving
early victory in the nearly two
year-old civil war.
Reports from Gibraltar SAID
10000 Moroccan troops had ar
rived from Ceuta at Cadiz and Al
peciras, insurgent bases in south,
ern Spain, during the past AZ
hours and that every available IN
surgent transport ship was being
pressed into service.
French government officials pre-
dieted that the end. Of the Spanish
civil war was in sight as reports
reached the foreign office at Paris
to the effect that Generalissimo
Francisco frances Italian legions
had been moved back from the
Castellon and Tortoise bsttlelines.
The prediction that the war
soon would be concluded was
based on the possibility OF early
withdrawal Of foreign volunteers
from both the government and IN
surgent forces.
The French are convinced that
neither army, after their forces
are pared down to q point where
the only troops are Spaniards,
will be able TO wage war on tse.
present destructive scsle. II was
believed also that air raids on
open towns and military centers
behind fighting lines likely would
be reduced drastieally.