BEL FUG FLOATS OVER CATALONIA SOIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 74, 29 March 1938, Page 7

BEL FUG FLOATS OVER CATALONIA SOIL.

INSURGENT DRIVE.

'fJanes Blasting Way for Victorious Army.

LOYALISTS demoralised?

United Press Association.—Copyright,

(Itivivi'd 1 p.m.)

1H RtiOS, March 28

For the first time in the civil war the rebel standard floats above Catalonia n soil while with bombing 'planes bla=tin£ a way for the victorious infantry, General Franco continues the drive to Lerida, the key to Catalonia, pnd Loyalists are conducting a civil fvacuation of the town in the hope of battling for its retention.

General Franco's vanguerd is already visible from Lerida, and other detachments are advancing elsewhere than by the main road. Barbastro is clouded in smoke, indicating that the Loyalists set fire to it before retreating.

Some 100 war 'planes, in wave after wave, bombed Fraga, shattering all hope of its defence by killing 1500, mostly soldiers, because the majority of civilians had already fled.

The capture of Mequinenza, where the Cinca River joins the Ebro, means the entrapment of Loyalists on the left bank of the Ebro, north of C'aspe, also a

threat to the Loyalists on the right batik immediately the rebels from Jlequinen/.a join their comrades on the Caspe Ridge.

"The Times" Burgos correspondent say* the line of the Government defences on the C'inca was selected months ago 8s the most favourable position to be fortified. -Accordingly, the inability of the Republicans to stand more than a few hours behind them betrays the depee of demoralisation and disorganisation gapping the military machine.

The "Xew People's Army" is retreating headlong from the Pyrenees to Castellon. It is difficult not to believe that the Loyalist armies are beaten bevond recovery.

A "Daily Telegraph" correspondent says the French have taken full precautions along the Pyrenees frontier in readinpss for a possible collapse of the defence of Catalonia. They have stationed a reserve of troops in order to disarm fugitives and prevent their entering France.

non-intervention.

British Attitude to Alleged

Breaches

SUGGESTION BY LIBERAL.

British Official Wireless,

(Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY, March 28

Mr. R, \ Tintlor, Under-Secretary for oreign Affairs, was asked in the House th m,nons it was the practice of the Government to bring to the notice °f the Non-Intervention Committee all

trifled breaches of the non-intervention agreement'.

Mr. Butler replied that the Government had asked the Non-intervention

°nimittee to investigate information JTgarding some 13 alleged breaches of le non-intervention agreement. Experience gained in the early months of the committee showed it was not possible 0 bring home to the Governments concerned such alleged breaches, and, since the observation scheme bad been put into operation, there had not been the same necessity for individual Governments to bring to the notice of the Committee any alleged breaches. The jnterimtional Hoard was clvarly in a far "er position to secure evidence.

The Minister strongly denied the suggestion of the Liberal leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, that the failure of the Government to bring the breaches efore the Non-intervention Committee j Vas due to reluctance to have the Italian Government convicted.