REBELS COMPELLED TO WITHDRAW

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22021, 19 February 1937, Page 11

REBELS COMPELLED TO WITHDRAW

MADRID FORCES LAUNCH j OFFENSIVE ! AIR ATTACK ON TRENCHES (Received February 18, 7.5 p.m.) MADRID, February 17. Senor Miaja, in command of the Government forces in Madrid launched a powerful Government offensive in the Jarama river sector to the south-east. Twenty-two loyalist bombing aeroplanes, escorted by a squadron of chasers, machinegunned rebel trenches, after which the loyalist infantry advanced, protected by tanks and machine-guns They compelled the withdrawal of the rebels after three, hours of fierce fighting. MADRID BOMBED BY NIGHT MANY LOYALIST CASUALTIES (Received February 19, 12.26 a.m.) MADRID, February 18. Insurgent aeroplanes three times bombed Madrid last night, killing 11 and injuring 70. SUFFICIENT FOREIGN AID FOR FRANCO FASCIST POWERS ASSUMED TO BE SATISFIED LONDON, February 17. The diplomatic correspondent of "The Times" states that it is widely assumed that the foreign Governments who are supporting General Franco believe that they will have supplied him with sufficient aid by the time non-intervention is enforced tc enable him to finish the campaign successfully. The inflow, especially of Italians, has been very rapid in the last few weeks, and the total number of Italians has risen from 10,000 to 50,000. The diplomatic correspondent ot the "Manchester Guardian" agrees that there are 50,000 Italians with ample supplies of war material at present in Spain, and he adds that the dispatch of Russian war material to the loyalists is declining. French volunteering has been brought to a standstill and 1000 disillusioned men are clamouring to be repatriated. . The campaign has become mainly an Italian war against the diminishing loyalist party. Germany is now playing a minor part. It is reported that she does not desire to leave considerable forces in Spain wher. they may be needed in Central Europe in the near future. REBEL CRUISER DAMAGED IN . COLLISION (Received February 18, 7.5 p.m.) MADRID, February 17. The rebel cruiser Canarias col- j lided with the Greek merchantman | Eleni. Both were damaged. | _ I IRISH BILL TO BAN j VOLUNTEERS j I (Received February 18. 9.15 p.m.) I LONDON, February 18. j Mr de Valera, emphasising the j need for urgency, secured the first reading of the bill prohibiting Irish Free State citizens from participating in the Spanish war.