MALAGA HORROR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1937, Page 7

MALAGA HORROR.

FLIGHT OF REFUGEES.

Children Reported Strangled

By Parents.

FEAR OP FASCIST FORCES.

LONDON", February 18

Scenes of unparalleled horror were witnessed during the flight of 100,000 civilians from Malaga after its capture by the rebels.

Senor Olivar, Spanish- Minister of Justice, declared that many fugitives, unable to struggle further, strangled their children to keep them from falling into Fascist hands, and dashed their own heads against stones or threw themselves under lorries.

Many, unable to walk, crawled on their knees, leaving a trail of blood.

Senor Oliver was sent to Almeria (towards which the refugees streamed) to investigate. His report, says a message from Valencia, described the exodus as "a human cataclysm never seen before in Europe."

Crowds, mad with fear and fury, shouting, "The Fascists are coming," tilled the road to Almeria, he states.

When aeroplanes bombed them and rebel and Italian and Germar warships shelled them, the road quickiy became littered with dead.

Many children were trampled to death.

Those who reached Almeria were unable to find shelter, as it is a poor town.

It was impossible to avoid stumbling over exhausted people lying on the pavements.

The civil war has converted a hardworking population into homeless refugees.

The Spanish Embassy in London has received a cable from "the Basque Government alleging that the families of Loyalists have been expelled from rebel territory. Children and womeli carrying babies were left to make their way to the Government lines in terrible conditions.

Twenty-four pursuit 'planes attacked the Loyalist aircraft, firing dum-dums and high explosives.