THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 6, 1989
ATTEMPTED COUP AT CARTAGENA
WORK ON TWO SEA CANAL URGED
Paris, Yesterday:
A motion has been submitted in the Chamber of Deputies that the French Government be asked to
Sympathisers Of Franco Stage Revolt
Gibraltar, To-day.
Nationalist sympathisers in Cartagena seized the radio station by surprise and broadcast an an- nouncement this morning stating that the city had been surrendered.
start work immediately on building The station was subsequently recaptured and it was
of the two seas canal" to join the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
The project, which has often been mooted in the past, would link the two oceans by a canal from Bordeaux to somewhere on the south coast of France.
The motion adds:
France at present is harbour- ing thousands of refugees from Spain, who represent a large la- bour reserve, and the opportuni- ty should not be allowed to pass of putting this labour to some useful purpose.
stated in a broadcast in the evening that many Nationalists had been shot.
Denying that the city had surrendered, the an- nouncer said that calm prevailed and the "whole of Cartagena was cheering for the Re- public." Reuter.
Madrid, To-day. Late reports from Cartagena radio An official statement claiming station indicate that those partici- that the Cartagena revolt had pating in the revolt were in the been crushed praises the loyalty minority.
and decision of the fleet and It is declared that insurrectionists armed forces sent to stamp out have been unable to hold positions the attempted rising.
It adds that offenders are be- The strained international ing tried by court-martial imme- situation also makes the pro-diately and censures the conduct ject, the strategic value of which is self-evident of particular vr- geney.
Supporters of the motion say that all French unemployed should also be put to work on
Trans-Ocean. the job.
FRENCH ENVOY IN ITALY TO VISIT PARIS
Rome, Yesterday. Informed quarters confirm the report that the French Ambassa- dor, M. Francois-Poncet, will leave for Paris in the next few days.
is
It is said that the journey of a purely private nature, but the Ambassador will naturally see the Foreign Minister and other members of the Cabinet.“.
It is, however, stressed that there is
s no question of the Am- bassador being furnished with new instructions with the object of paving the way for
of those "in the gravest circum- stances at the back thus attempt to deliver the coup de grace to the Republic.". Reuter.
STARTED IN HARBOUR
in town.
NAVAL ACTION
SUDDEN ORDERS FOR BRITISH DESTROYER
Gibralter, To-day.
The British destroyer Boadicea 'made a sudden dash for the East- ern Spanish coast early to-day.
محمد
Naval authorities are: reticient regarding its destination but it la believed that it either went to Cartagena or Almeria-Reuter.
EXTORTION CHARGE
Fu-Yeung-ming, clerk 82, resid- ing at No. 67 Lee Yuen street, ap peared before Mr. Q. A. A. Macfay- den, at the Kowloon Magistracy this morning on three counts of at-
: sum to extort the
of tempting $1,000 from Lung Sheung, 29, pay- Public master of the Shanghai
to Safety Bureau, by threatening war-print or publish certain allegations against him in the local newspapers.
Messages were sent to all ships in harbour to hoist white flags of surrender within fifteen minutes
Complainant alleged that defen- or they would be fired upon 'from
March 23, coastal batteries, in the hands of the dant approached him on M insurrectionists. but apparently ships and 5 in Room 203, of the Chung
Det.-Sergeant J. Johnston is day started in the harbour at Republican fleet refused Cartagena when several marine de- the command and several steamed charge of the case, which was ad- tachments rebelled and were fol- from harbour out of range of coast- journed for three days. lowed by a number of the civil al guns. population.
The Nationalist uprising yester-which comprise practically the entire Ah Boarding House, Nathan Road.
in
Taking the town by surprise, the insurrectionists seized control of the forts, arsenal, coast bat- teries and radio broadcasting sta tion, and several public buildings. First news of the rebellion reached the outer world on Sunday. morning at 9.80 o'clock when the broadcasting-station sent out a mes sage to that effect that part of the naval forces assembled in Carta- gena had gone over to the Nation- alist cause and had taken up arms.
REBEL BROADCASTS
The broadcast continued with an appeal to the civil population of Cartagena to report immediately to the marine garrison of the town and to join the insurrection.
Later announcements from the stated that same station "thousands" assembled in the prin-
Կ
to
obey
Vessels assembled in the harbour
include the cruisers Libertad and anda, Almirante Valdes and Alcala Miguel Cervantes, the destroyers, Galiano as well as ten submarines and Churruca, Mendez Nunez, Alsado, several auxiliary vessels. Trans- Antequera Lepanto Almirante Mir- Ocean.
DETERMINED
TO CONTINUE
RESISTANCE
Madrid, To-day.
Reorganisation of the Republican armies under the supreme command of the Premier, Dr. Negrin, has been ordered in a Defence Ministry decree which has just been signed.
an exchange cipal square of the town"to celo- This decision is regarded as indicating that the Re-
of views between Paris and Rome. Trans-Ocean.
brate sudden liberation.”
STATION RECAPTURED
Having rallied following
the
publicans are determined on resistance to the end.
surprise attack, Republican The decree states that circumstances have necessit-
MIAJA RESIGNS defenders of the
Paris, Yesterday. A Paris, newspaper, “Mile
"Midi this morning repeats the rumour that General Minja, Republican Spanish commander-in-chief, has resigned, a
The Republican troops, the paper says, are now under the command of General Cassado, with the Chiefs of Staff, General Modesto and Colonel Lister, commanding the army of the Ebro. — Trans Ocean.
ma-
town, who were apparently in the jority, engaged the insurrectionists and soon succeeded in "recapturing the radio station as indicated by the fact that Republican messages were again broadcast.
ated dissolution of the present organisation of the armies in the centre and south,
The Premo the nation to-
Reuter,
The corps composing them and to his post of commander of the those that may be constituted in land armies of the Central Zone. the future will be under "Dr.
Dr. Negrin, is Clashes were still going on last Negrin a direct authority, exer- broadcasting evening.
cised through the General Staff, morrow. When news of the rovolt reached. Other decrees provide for the the demobilisation of men of 44 and Cadis, where several units of Nationalist fleet were stationed, the 45 who were recently called to the ships immediately set auil for Car colours and announce a number of tagena but whether they will arrive new appointments, notably Gen- In time to be of assistance is doubt-eral Manuel Gomez to be provis | ful.
sionally Chief of Staff in addition
Madrid, To-day. Dr. Negrin is reported to have fled from Madrid fol- lowing his supersession by the "Council of National De-
fence," headed by Genera
Cesado Router.
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