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PLANES
CHASE
Warships Answer
SOS Call
LONDON, Tuesday
'SOS ... SOS ... We
are being followed by
war planes . . . SOS . . .
SOS.'
This dramatic radio ap
peal has been received from
the British vessel Peckham,
which is steaming along the
Spanish coast.
The Peckham is bound for
Barcelona, Loyalist Spanish
port in the Mediterranean, from
Odessa, Russian port on the
Black Sea.
It is stated from Gibraltar
that British warships have been
ordered out to protect the Peck
ham — if they can arrive in time.
The Peckham 's call, coming so closely
on Britain's emphatic warning to Gen
eral Franco that she would sink on
sight any vessel attacking a British
ship or any submarine seen submerged
near the ordinary trade routes, has
caused a sensation in England.
Twice last week British vessels
were attacked by Spanish planes
and a submarine. The Endymion
was torpedoed and sank 16 miles
from Cartagena, with the loss of 11
lives. On February 4, the steamer
Alcira was attacked by two sea
planes off Barcelona. She was also
sunk.
Before these episodes, other British
vessels had been attacked, and H.M.S.
Hunter was severely damaged by a
mine, for which the British Govern
ment has sent a bill to Franco de
manding the tentative sum of £137,000.
$