NEWS OF THE WEEK
EVENTS in Spain—or, more accurately, over Spain and off the Spanish coasts—have taken a more serious turn. The aerial bombardment of Barcelona by insurgent aeroplanes on Sunday resulted in ghastly slaughter of non- combatants, and the sinking of the British ship Endymion ' on Monday, following on the sinkicg of a Dutch ship three weeks ago and an abortive atm* on another British vessel immediately afterwards, suggest a recrudescence of the piracy which the measures .agreed on at Nyon appeared to have suppressed. The stories of the survivors of the Endymion's ' crew need to be investigated ; the possibility that the vessel's loss was due to a mine is not to be completely excluded, but all the signs are that as General Franco sees the prospects of success on land waning he is resuming submarine attacks on all vessels bound for Spanish Govern- ment ports. If that is so, the most pertinent question is the nationality of the submarines, and their origin if they are the property of the insurgents. The Republican Government gives explicit details of the recent transfer of both submarines and minelayers from the Italian Navy to General Franco, but that report can only be accepted if corroborated through other channels. The action immediately essential—and that in fact is already being taken—is the reinforcement of the Nyon patrol and a resolve by this country and France at least to carry out the Nyon agreements at any cost.
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