RRANCE BIS NOW ANOTHER FRONTIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 23, 28 January 1939, Page 9

RRANCE BIS NOW ANOTHER FRONTIR.

ITALIAN CLAIM. Madrid Denies War Is Nearing End. LOYALISTS LACK MUNITIONS. United Tress Association.—Copyright. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, January 27. Newspapers in Rome are ominously fol ovvmg up the fall of Barcelona ii unanimous declaration that Italy has succeeded in establishing another frontier for France

"II Tcvore" says that, "now, thanks ' to tho Italian Navy, not a single French ship or soldier ia able to cross the Mediterranean." i At the same time a communique issued in Madrid, says the war is not ncaring the end and will continue as long an necessary to make Spain safe for Well Fortified Cities. The civil Governor of Madrid declares that calm prevails and tho workers resinned their jobs after registering for mobilisation. Food reserves arc available. The situation on the Estremadura front is unchanged. Tho "Daily Telegraph" Perpignan correspondent says Valencia and Madrid are so well fortified that they are unlikely to be taken by assault, but will be untenable without arius and ammunition, of which there ia a grave shortage. i* No further serious resistance* is p\pected from the Loyalist armies in Cut a lonia, owing to lack of guns and munitions, and semi-starvation. The "Daily Telegraph" Perpignan correspondent says the problem of Spanish refugees is becoming more acute daily. Nearly 300,000 have massed south of tho Pyrenees. Trains are waiting at Cerbere and Boulou in order to evacuate as many as possible to France, where concentration camps have been prepared. Six thousand French troops are at Perpignan, Montpelier and Carcasonne, ready to reinforce the frontier police. Others are moving up from inland garrisons. Reuter's Perpignan correspondent says the commandant of 3000 international volunteers who fought for the Loyalists asserts that while the volunteers were waiting to entrain for France at Cardedeu station, 23 miles north of Barcelona, Rebel war 'planes bombed the town, killing or wounding 800 persons. Xea Without a Country. The majority of the volunteers are Czech, German, Italian and other anti-Fascists who are unable to return to their own countries. Two hundred are married to Spanish wives, who are accompanying them and many of whom were wounded. The survivors fled to France. Refugees report intense ret>el bombing of the small territory left to the Loyalists in the neighbourhood of the Pyrenees, and allege that hundreds were killed in the refugee-packed streets of the town of Granollers. Italian and German machine-gunning is especially intense on the coast road along which refugees are streaming. A message from Hcndaye says the rebels have advanced 15 miles beyond Barcelona, occupying Saba dell and Badalona.

The British steamer Foynes was sunk by a bomb in Valencia harbour but there were no casualties. CIVILIAN REFUGEES. Mass Influx Will Begin To-day. NO NEUTRAL ZONE. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, January 27. A mas* influx of civilian refugees to France will begin at Perpignan on Saturday, but restrictions are being applied against troops. In view of General Franco's opposition England and France have dropped the idea of a neutral zone on the frontier, where refugees could be interned, but English and French relief organisations have agreed to co-operate in feeding and accommodating them. The French Government is contemplating camps near 'the Pyrenees and also in North Africa. M. Bonnet has asked Russia to accept as many as possible. The stream of refugees stretches for 70 miles along the road to the frontier. Panic-stricken and half-starved women and children are struggling on under pitiless bombings. At least 200 were killed at the roadside to-day.

Frontier towns are crammed with hundreds living in snow without blankets and subsisting on bread and water.

HITLER'S TELEGRAM. Hopes Victory Will Soon Bring Peace. NEW ERA FOE SPAIN. (Received 11 a.m.) BERLIN, January 27. Herr Hitler sent the following telegram to General Francos—"Congratulations on your brilliant victory and the liberation of Barcelona. I hope victory will soon bring peace to the Spanish people and begin a new era for National Spain." CZECH RECOGNITION. FRANCO'S GOVERNMENT. (Recelred 11 a.m.) PRAGUE, January 27. It ia officially announced the Government is recognising General Franco s Government and breaking off relations with the Loyalists.