REBEL SUCCESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 9

REBEL SUCCESS.

FLUCTUATING WAR.

Women's "Death Battalions"

Forming.

HORROR IN BARCELONA.

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received 2 p.m.) LONDON, July 31

The Spanish Government admits defeat of a Loyalist column under General Perez Ferras, when en route to Saragossa from Catalonia. The victors were General Mola's southern army. Otlier Loyalists' columns have reached the outskirts of Saragossa and tlie Government is preparing a counter-attack; with every hope of success. Government airmen, in fast bombers, arc continuously harrying the rebels, whose right wing was successfully attacked at Xavalperal, 30 miles west of Madrid, by Colonel Mangada, who inflicted a loss of 73 dead and many wounded. A battalion of 1000 women, armed with rifles and with women oflicors, has been formed in Madrid to relieve the militia sent to' the northern front. Newlyformed "death companies" of the sth Regiment, to which the women's battalion is attached, include several girls' "death companies" armed with dynamite and grenades. Rebels Attack San Sebastian. The insurgent, Colonel Ortiz Zarate, has disposed 12,000 men for a fresh attack on San Sebastian. Rebel artillery is now bombarding the city.

Prince Carlos, son-in-law to ex-King Alfonso, arrived at Pamplona, supposedly to discuss ( the Carlist succession with the Monarchist supporters in Xavarre.

The Catalan Government at Barcelona, which is independent of the Spanish Government', formed a new Ministry for the defeat of Fascism, under Senor Casanova and declared a state of crisis owing to the possibility of a clash with Left Wing extremists.

The former Catalan Premier, Senor Companys, handed over his office and appealed for the support of all parties for Senor Casanova. Slaughter in Barcelona. A "Times" correspondent on the French frontier states that Barcelona and Catalonia are scenes of a reign of terror. "Purification squads" are searching houses, seizing suspects, and assassinating them in lonely spots. The anti-Fascist military committee has announced its determination to stop this, but the situation is out of hand. A dozen bodies of people taken from their homes and shot by search committees have been found at Mount Tibidabo, above Barcelona. Among them were four murdered and two wounded Dominican nuns. A squad three times searched for factory owners in a house at Taraasa, taking away a family of eight and shooting

Rebels again bombed Palma, in Majorca, and destroyed the Hotel For-

mentor, where the Prince of Wales stayed in 1034. The British battleship Repulse left Majorca with i) 00 refugees of 17 nationalities, bound for Marseilles.