FRANCO ADVANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 141, 17 June 1938, Page 7

FRANCO ADVANCE

NEARING VALENCIA.

Loyalists Rally and Establish

New Line.

37 CAPITALS OCCUPIED.

United Press Association.—Copyright

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON'. June US

The '"Daily Telegraph" Saragossa correspondent says that General Franco's troops arc within 19 miles oi' Sagunto and 22 of Valencia.

A Madrid dispatch says Loyalists have rallied four miles south of C'astellon and established a new line along the Mijares River. They are offering stern resistance to t lie rebels.

Two thousand men of the Spanish • ioverninent's 4:Jrd Division—the "lost division"—crossed into France late last night to avoid capture by the rebels. Thev were immediately disarmed. ,

''The Times" corres]>ondent says BCMX) more of the '"lost divisioners" reached Kraliee, where villagers hastened to supply the starving men with soup. The fugitives left the wooded hillsides of the <lala Pass aflame in order to delay their pursuit. Many were wounded.

Their losses during the lust stand was so heavy that they were unable to bury their dead.

France will give the troops 48 hours to decide whether to be repatriated to Loyalist or rebel Spain.

An official Government report admits that tlie rebel* have occupied Castellon. which means that General Franco is now master of .'57 of Spain's r>o provincial capitals.

The_ statement adds that the Loyalists have taken up fresh positions three miles southward of Castellon, where tierce fighting is going on.

Thousands of refugees are pourinjr south to Valencia under a continual rain of bombs and machine-gun bullets, which are converting the roads along which orange carts usually pass, into highways of death.

Kight thousand refugees have already arrived ;it the Bull Ring, which has become a huge camp.

The insurgents discovered that Castellon was full of home-made air

raid shelters, some 30 or 40 feet deep,