French ownership of the Yugoslavian yards at Spalato concerns Italy according to the Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post daily edition dated 27 October 1932

Rome, 21 October. The transfer of the ownership of the Yugoslavian shipyards at Spalato to the French shipyard De la Noire at Nantes concerned the Italian press. They feared that this new owner would use French capital to extend the shipyards into a important naval base for the French navy and further more starting with building warships mainly submarines resulting into a direct and indirect threat for Italy in the Adriatic Sea.