Evening star., 1939-02-08
British Take Steps
To Keep Italians
Out Of Minorca
Peaceful Occupation by
Rebel Sponiords Aim;
Cruiser Is Sent
BACKGROUND

Insurgent forces of Gen. Fran
cisco Franco took Barcelona tUo
Weeks ago and proceeded easily
With conquest OF remaining parts
OF Catalonia. LoyaliSt gouern-
nent, as 1Dell as scores of thou
sands of ciuilians and deserting
soldiers, fed to France Loyalists
continue to hold southeast quar-
ter of Spain as UeH as Balearic
Island OF Minorcd.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. Feb. "a British
cruiser arrived today at Minorca,
disputed island in the Spanish Ba-
learics. while the London cabinet
considered measures to prevent
Italy and Germany from obtaining
control of the island
At the same time officials acknowl-
edged that Britain had asked Span
ish Insurgent Generalissimo Franco
to agree to a truce in the 30
month-old civil war. But they de-
clined to disclose whether Gen.
Franco had replied. or, if he had,
what his answer was.
1t was officially announced that
the 9,750-ton cruiser Devonshire
had dropped anchor in Port Mahon,
strategic and well-fortified harbor
of Minorca, only island of the Ba-
learics which the Spanish govern
ment has held since early in the
war.
At the foreign Office here it was
said that there were no British or
Spanish insurgent diplomats aboard
the cruiser and that mo negotia-
tions are taking place at Port Ma
hon." At the admiralty late today
it was said merely that the Devon
shire is still at Minorca.'
Willingness to Aid Reported.
However, there have been reports
that Britain was willing to cooper
ate with Gen. Franco in measures
to occupy the island, provided it was
taken over exclusively by Spanish
soldiers.
The Devonshire move aroused
speculation here as to whether she
might not have gone to Minorca to
make sure that any insurgent at
tempt to seize the island was not
sponsored by Germany or Italy.
Britain and France have been
worried for some time over Italy's
foothold on Mallorca, largest of the
Balearic group. which lies athwart
Frances communications with her
African possessions.
1t has been known that Italian
planes aiding the insurgents were
based on Mallorca, which, together
with Ibitz, third principal island OF
the group, was seized by the insur-
gents early in the war.
There have been reports that a
British cruiser would take insur-
gent representatives to the Mediter-
ranean island to confer with Span
ish government defenders, but Brit
ish officials declined to comment
on them.
Hopes for Agreement Hinted.
Disclosure of the truce attempt
was interpreted as indicating Britain
still hoped to get agreement between
Gen. Franco and Government Pre-
mier Juan Negrin on peace terms
of nature calculated to enable
Britain to restore her influence with
the insurgent regime.
The cabinet was reported to have
considered a plan to buy Britain
into Spain" and keep Gen. Franco
from joining the anti-comintern
pact with Germany, Italy and Japan.
Prime Minister Chamberlain was
said to have discussed the possibility
of a loan to the insurgents as
counter to Geunan-Italian attempts
to extend the pact into Spain.
Lord Chatf1eld, new minister for
the coordination of defense, at
tended his first meeting of the cab
met and was said to have given
a report on the strategic dangers
a German-Italian dominated state
in Spain would offer to Britain and
France. The cabinet also was re-
ported to have discussed the posi-
bility of recognizing the Franco
regime as the legitimate government
of Spain.