Paris, Sept. 17. An official denial from Rome followed swiftly to-day allegations made by "Lo Populaire" about Italian plans in the Mediterranean.
According to a Rome message published in the newspaper, it was learned in well-informed circles that the "Italian Government had sold twelve submarines to the insurgent commander, eneral Francisco Franco. The crew of the submarines were Italian volunteers wearing special uniforms, Two of these submarines were named the Terricelli and Anfitrite."
"Lo Populaire" a ned that twelve other submarines cruising in the Dardanelles, had "orders, issued by Signor Mussolini at the beginning of August, to commit acts of piracy."
A submarine base had been equipped at Cyrenaica for. submarines operating in the eastern Mediterranean, the newspaper declared.—Reuter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.